Majestic Beauty
by educatedguess1
Summary: Michaela has just lost her husband and is expecting their first baby. She is leaving Boston to escape the pain and memories of her old life. Colorado Springs sounds like the perfect place to heal and raise her baby. Will she find the peace and security she is looking for? Complete
1. Chapter 1

Michaela sat at her desk, gazing around at her half empty office, cluttered with boxes. She let out a sigh feeling tears well up in her eyes. She had spent the last seven years here. She had studied difficult cases and cried over those she had lost. Today was her last day, she was closing this chapter and beginning a new one.

David had been gone for a month. His death had left a huge void in her life. She had begged him not to go back on a 2nd tour of duty to the Middle East. She tried to persuade him to turn in his retirement paperwork but he assured her that it was just a short mission and that he would be back in a few short weeks.

Michaela was six months pregnant with their first child, a daughter, they were going to name Katie. Her emotions were overwhelming her. David would never get to hold Katie, hear her cries or her first words. She rubbed her large belly and slowly stood up, drying her tears. She had to go home and prepare for the move. There was so much more to accomplish before the movers came in the morning. She was leaving Boston. She had to, there were too many memories of David around. She chose Colorado Springs for its majestic mountains and clean, fresh air.

As she left the office, her cell phone rang, deep inside her bag. She dug it out and swiped the screen to see who was calling her. It was her eldest and favorite sister, Rebecca.

"Hi, Rebecca," she said as she accepted the call.

"Michaela! It's so nice to hear your voice," Rebecca replied. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm getting along, there's so much to do."

"I can understand that, you know, Mother is not happy about you moving all the way across the country,"

"Yes, I know that, she has made sure she's told me that several times, but I have to do this for me and for Katie. I can't continue to stay here. It's too painful for me right now," Michaela replied.

"I sure wish I could be there for you right now, but I can't get away from work right now. Will you call me when you are settled so I can plan a trip out there?" Rebecca asked.

"Yes! I sure will and I understand about you not being able to get away. Daniel will be coming with me to help out so I won't be completely alone."

"Okay that is great news! Well, I better get off of here, my lunch break is just about over. Take care of yourself, I love you very much!"

"I love you too," Michaela answered.

She turned her phone off and dropped it back into her bag. She turned the ignition on and pulled out in traffic. She turned the radio up to try to clear some cob webs from her mind. She mentally went through her checklist. There was so much to do before the movers arrived in the morning. She turned the corner onto her street and saw that Daniel had already arrived.

"Daniel!" Michael cried, climbing out of her car. "It's so nice to see you!"

"Hi, Michaela!" Daniel answered, pulling her into a tight embrace. He could see the pain she was trying to hide from the world. Her eyes betrayed her true feelings. He always had a place in his heart for her but David expressed his interest in her before he had a chance to. He respected their marriage and never tried to act on his feelings for her. Now that David was gone, he felt that he should honor David's memory and make sure that she was safe and protected.

"Let's go inside and get something to drink," she stated, pulling back from his embrace.

"That sounds good,"

'What time will the movers be here tomorrow?" he asked, looking around at the piles of stuff laying around.

"They should be here around 11 o'clock," she answered.

Daniel put his hands on his hips, doing a mental calculation of how long it would take him to get everything boxed up and ready. "I should get started," he said and put his drink down.

"Yes, let me help you," she answered, slowly getting out of her rocker.

"No, you will stay right here and put your feet up," he admonished, putting his hand on her shoulders, pushing her gently back into her seat.

"Daniel," Michael started to protest. He looked in her eyes, feeling drawn in. He had to fight the urge to give into his affections for her. He was her late husband's best friend. It would be wrong to show his affections for her. "There is too much to do for me to just sit here."

"Nonsense, you have been through a lot in the last few weeks, you sit back and relax. Take care of that baby."

She gave in, realizing that he was correct. She rubbed her belly, feeling the baby move around.

Looking down at her belly, well, little Katie, we have a long trip ahead of us," she leaned back and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of rumpling paper and cardboard boxes in the background. She was thankful for the good friend she had in Daniel.

She let her mind drift off to think of what the future held for her and Katie in Colorado Springs. From everything that she had studied about the new city, she knew that it was nothing like Boston. Which was just what she wanted and needed at this stage in her life. It was time to forge a new path for herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tired and weary, Michaela pulled into the driveway of her new home. She climbed out of the car to stretch her tired muscles. She placed her hands on her hips to flex her shoulders and looked around at the neighborhood. Off in the distance, she could see Pikes Peak. It was still early enough in the year that you could see the snow pack at the higher elevations. As she gazed down the street, she saw turn of the century Craftsman style homes on neatly manicured lawns. The neighborhood was well established with mature trees and landscaping. There were children playing in the cul de sac and riding their bicycles up and down the sidewalks. It really was a world away from the hustle and bustle of her affluent Boston neighborhood of Beacon Hill. This felt like home.

She smiled to herself, confident she made the correct decision to move her life to Colorado. The pain of losing David was still strong but she knew that she needed time to grieve him and the life they shared together. She bent down to retrieve her bag from the front seat of the car and dug out the door keys. She rubbed her belly, well, little Katie, here we go. She slowly walked up the wide, expansive steps to her new life. She placed the key in the door lock. It turned with ease and the door opened to reveal the large living room with coffered ceilings and ornate, polished wood trim.

The air was stale and musty but it barely registered to her. She stood in the living room, turning in circles, in awe at the beauty of the room. There was a green glass tiled fireplace to the right, between the two floor to ceiling windows. The stair case was off to the left, against the wall. The dining room was straight ahead, past the fireplace. Her home in Beacon Hill had been grand but it never felt like anyone lived there. This home felt inviting, like it needed a family to live there.

She placed her bag on the bottom stair and ascended the stair case. The movers and Daniel would be here tomorrow, she had to determine where all of her things should be placed. As she came to the top of the stairs, the bathroom was immediately to the right. It wasn't a large room but it was deep. The sink to the right, the bathtub right across from it and the toilet behind a short wall in the corner. As she walked down the narrow hall, there were 3 bedrooms. Two were across the hall from each other and the master bedroom was at the end of the hall. The two bedrooms were of equal size, both large for this time period. She had to decide which one would be Katie's. The other one would be her office when she starts her new job at the hospital.

After she had walked through the house, she felt more at ease knowing she could mark something off of her list. She grabbed her bag and dug out her cell phone. She needed to call Daniel to make sure everything was still on schedule for tomorrow.

"Hello?" she heard as the ringing stopped.

"Daniel?"

"Michaela! Hi, how was your trip?" he asked.

"It was long, the plane ride was tiring then I had to drive the rest of the way from the airport but I am doing fine. Wait until you see my new house. It is simply breathtaking. Is everything still on schedule for delivery tomorrow?"

"Yes, I just got off the phone with the movers. They expect to be there around 9 o'clock. My flight should be in around noon." He replied.

"Okay, that will be perfect. I have already walked around the house to determine where things will need to be placed."

"You sound so much more relaxed than you did a few days ago. How are you holding up?"

"I am feeling somewhat better, the pain of losing David is still raw but I know this is the best thing for Katie and me right now," she replied, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She batted them away, determined not to be upset right now.

"I understand, it will take time. I miss him a lot too, we grew up together, it is hard to let go of someone you are so close to."

"Listen, I better get off the phone for now, I have to finish packing," He stated.

"Yes, do you need me to pick you up at the airport tomorrow?"

"No, I will grab a taxi, I don't want you to have to add another item to your list."

She smiled to herself. Daniel did know her pretty well, she thrived on making a list. It's the only thing that made her feel secure in times of chaos.

"Okay, well, I will see you tomorrow, have a safe trip." With that, she hung the phone up. She had to find something comfortable to sleep on tonight. She went out to the garage and found an old cot. It was dirty but it would work for just one night. She grabbed a blanket from the car and set up her bed for the night. With that out of the way, she went outside to sit on the porch steps to gather her thoughts on what else she would need to get settled as quickly as possible.

She sat there for a long time and watched the sun set over Pikes Peak. What a truly beautiful landscape this was. She was excited for what the future held. In just a few short months, she would have her baby girl to hold and love and she would have her new job. Michaela truly felt that she had restarted her life.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for all of the feedback!

The movers arrived right on schedule. Michaela was busy directing them to the appropriate room to deliver the boxes to. Soon enough, the house was full of boxes that contained her entire life. After the movers left, she decided to start opening some boxes in the kitchen. She felt that if the kitchen was organized, she could get some order back in her life quickly.

She came across some refrigerator magnets that she had collected on their honeymoon. She ran her hands over the sparkly turquoise painted sand dollar they had bought while in Florida. She sat down at the kitchen table with tears in her eyes. She knew that unpacked the boxes would open a Pandora's Box of emotions but it was something that she had to face whether she wanted to or not.

She didn't hear Daniel come in the front door. He stood in the dining room, watching her at the table, silently crying to herself. His heart ached for her. He was torn, should he go hold her in his arms and tell her that he would spend the rest of his days with her or should he leave her alone and let her mourn her husband? Daniel knew it wasn't right for him to tell her how he felt about her. But in the short time they had been spending together since David died, it was getting harder to keep his feelings to himself.

He quietly cleared his throat to get her attention. She jumped with a start and looked up.

"Oh, Daniel! I'm sorry, how long have you been standing there?" she asked, getting up and walking to the sink to dab some cool water on her face.

"Not long," he answered, walking toward her. He hesitantly put his hand on her back, pulling her toward him in an embrace. He knew this was a risky move, he was scared how she may react to his touch. He fought with himself to show her how he felt about her.

"Daniel, now that I've moved, I feel the past is starting to catch up with me. I guess I've been trying to run all this time when I thought I was just going to leave my sorrow in Boston and start fresh." She moved away from him, rubbing her growing belly and sat back down at the table.

"I am wondering how good of a mother I will be to Katie," she cried, full of self-doubt.

"Michaela!" he cried, bending down on his knees in front of her.

"You will be an excellent mother! You have been dealt a terrible blow in the last few weeks. You are just beginning to sort through your feelings. I can stay with you until the baby is born. I wouldn't feel right to leave you here alone." He secretly hoped that she would agree with him.

"No, I am going to call Rebecca to come for a visit. You have your life to get back to. I appreciate all that you have done for me in the last month. It means a lot to me."

"There is nothing more important in my life right now than you, Michaela," he cried, taking her hand in his and caressing it with his thumb. He couldn't believe that he had just said that to her! His feelings are becoming stronger, they just leapt off his tongue before he has a chance to think about the impact. There was nothing he could do about it now. He stood up and back away from her a little and leaned up against the counter. He didn't want to look her in the face, he was embarrassed that he said that. There was a part of him that was glad though.

"I appreciate the offer, Daniel, but Rebecca wanted to come out when I was settled in." She pretended that she didn't hear the pleading in his voice when he offered to stay with her.

She did feel slightly uncomfortable at his touch just now. Their relationship just shifted and she didn't care for it. Daniel was David's friend and that is how she always saw him.


	4. Chapter 4

The next week went by quickly. Daniel helped her get everything unpacked and neatly arranged in the house. She wanted to do Katie's room by herself. She had some personal touches she wanted to add to it. She had prepared a hearty breakfast of ham and eggs to keep him full for the flight home. He put his fork down and wiped his mouth.

"Thanks for breakfast, Michaela, are you sure you don't need me to stay any longer?" Just then, they heard the taxi pull up and honk its horn.

"No, thank you, I will be fine and besides, it sounds like your ride is here," she said, getting up from the table.

"Okay," he went to the stairs to retrieve his suitcase.

Michaela followed him out onto the porch. Just as she was about to hug him goodbye, a fluffy fur ball of a puppy comes dashing through the yard and stops at her feet. The puppy stares up at her with its tongue hanging out. It lets out an excited yip and circles her feet. Daniel and Michaela both try in vain to catch the wriggling puppy. Michaela tries to keep from stumbling over it.

"Please excuse my dog!" she heard a male voice call out. She looked up to see a man from next door come running over to her porch, toting a baby on his hip.

As the man drew closer, Michaela noticed that he was the most handsome man she had ever seen! He had broad, muscular shoulders, deep tanned skin, light brown hair that fell to his shoulders and blue eyes that sparkled mischievously.

"The name's Sully," he mentioned, shifting his baby to his left hip and extending out his hand to Daniel and Michaela. Daniel noticed the way Michaela looked at Sully. He felt an instant pang of jealousy.

"I'm Daniel," he replied, eyeing him coolly, not shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Michaela," she replied, extending her hand. The moment their hands touched, she felt the electricity pass between them. She pulled her hand back as if she was shocked. She looked toward the ground, embarrassed at her sudden movement.

"I hope my puppy didn't scare you."

"Oh, no, not at all. Its adorable." She answered.

'Thanks, Wolf, is quite a handful right now. Come here Wolf," he yelled, snapping his fingers. The puppy partially obeyed but his inquisitive nature got the better of him and he was off again.

Michaela laughed. "I think he's too busy exploring right now!"

"Yes, I think you may be right. He will need some more training for sure." Sully looked up at the old house, admiring it. "I'm glad you guys have moved in, this house has been empty for a long time."

"Oh, it's just me and my soon-to-be daughter," Michaela answered, patting her belly.

Daniel watched Sully and possessively put his arm around Michaela's shoulders, giving him a warning look. She slightly shrank away from his touch. Daniel didn't notice but Sully did.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Sully stated, slightly embarrassed.

"No, it's quite okay," Michaela assured him. "Who's this pretty girl you have here?" she asked, changing the subject, not wanting him to feel bad. Sully shifted his daughter to his right hip.

"This is Hannah," he said, turning her around. She reached out a tiny hand toward her. Hannah had the same color hair as her father and the same beautiful blue eyes.

"She is absolutely adorable," Michaela stated, offering her pinky finger so Hannah could grab it. "Oh!" she exclaimed when Hannah grabbed a hold of her finger quickly and tightly.

The sound of a car horn brought all of them back to the present. Michaela looked at Daniel, who had moved his arm from her shoulder and shifted his weight. He had hoped she didn't pick up on what he was trying to do in Sully's presence.

"Daniel, I think that means it's time for you to catch your flight. Thank you for everything you did for me this past week. Call me when you get there," she said, embracing him lightly.

"You are welcome, I am happy to help," he answered, giving her a light kiss on the cheek.

"Nice to meet you Sully," Daniel offered. He was fighting to keep the jealous feeling from being too obvious but he hoped that Sully had gotten the hint. He wanted to give the impression that Michaela was his girlfriend. Daniel got in the taxi and drove off.

Michaela was fighting extremely conflicting feelings. How could she feel such an immense attraction to a complete stranger when she just had just lost her husband? She demurely looked at the ground, hoping her face did not betray her feelings.

"Would you like to sit down for a minute?" she offered, gesturing toward the gliders on the porch.

"Sure, Hannah is getting heavy," he replied, shifting her to his lap.

"How long have you and your wife lived in this neighborhood?"

"Oh, it's just me and Hannah," Michaela could hear the sadness in his voice. She felt bad for asking such a question now.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you such a question."

"No, it's okay, we've been on our own for a few months now," he replied.

Michaela wanted to know what had happened to his wife but she hardly knew him and it was obvious that it pained him.

Hannah started to excitedly flap her arms up and down while watching the antics of Wolf frolicking on the porch. He had found a bug flying around and was jumping up trying to grab it. He would let out a frustrated bark every time he missed. Hannah let out a loud belly laugh every time he barked.

"You have a lot on your hands with a baby and a puppy," she stated.

"Yes, I sure do. Getting Wolf was my wife's idea."

Once again, she felt like she had said the wrong thing. He could see her facial expressions change and knew that she had to be berating herself for the questions that she asked.

"I don't mind the questions you are asking. I take everything a day at a time," he said in reply to her pained expression. He hope that this would alleviate her guilty feelings.

Michaela was surprised that Sully picked up on her thoughts. She did feel better knowing that she wasn't causing him to relive the sad times.

Sully watched her sit up a bit straighter and rub her belly. She seemed to be lost in thought. He couldn't believe he was sitting so close to her. He had watched her from afar from the day she arrived. His wife, Abigail, had been gone only a few weeks. He still can't believe that he is thinking like this about another woman. He has been so overwhelmed with Hannah and Wolf that his grieving process was sped up for the sake of his day to day routine.

He's tried to convince himself that he's moved on but he still feels pangs of guilt for any emotions he has where he allows himself to smile or enjoy the moment. Like Michaela, they both have a lot of pain in their past but can they move through it to live in the present?

Sully let his mind drift back to Daniel. He gave the impression that Michaela was his girlfriend but she did not appear to feel the same about him. Was she carrying his baby? Michaela appeared to be a very private person, afraid to show her true emotions.

As they sat on the porch in a comfortable silence, both watch Wolf continue to run circles around them chasing various insects. Michaela let out a laugh. Her shiny auburn hair falling from her loose pony tail as she threw her head back. He was enthralled with her. But it was obvious that there was some sort of a relationship between her and Daniel. He wasn't completely over grieving Abigail, no matter how much he tried to push it to the side. He needed to keep his feelings in check. But could he?


	5. Chapter 5

I want to thank everyone that has left a review for me. I am honored that you are reading my very first story. You are keeping me motivated!

The sun light streamed brightly through the curtains in Michaela's bedroom. She rolled onto her back and put her arm over her eyes to shield from the bright light. She could feel the baby moving around. The baby was getting heavier by the day. There was still about eight weeks to go until her due date. Her legs and back were starting to ache on a consistent basis. This made the basic tasks more cumbersome. Today she was going to get the furniture for her nursery and begin thinking of other decorating ideas.

She reluctantly pulled the blankets back and rolled to her side to slowly get out of bed. She stood up, rubbing the knotted muscles in her back. Michaela grabbed her robe and slipped it on to cover her nightshirt and yoga pants. The shirt was getting shorter the more that Katie grew. She descended the stairs and padded out toward the kitchen. As she passed through the living room, she noticed the photograph of her and David on the fireplace mantle. Daniel must have placed it there when he was unpacking. It was the last one they had taken together. They were both smiling and holding up her ultrasound picture of Katie. She picked the frame up and ran her hand over it.

"This seems like a lifetime ago," she mumbled under her breath. She felt her eyes fill with tears. She sat down on the couch and allowed the emotions to come to her.

After a few minutes, she heard a knock at the front door. She stood up, gathering her thoughts and tightening the belt on her robe. She walked toward the front door and looked through the peep hole to see who it could be.

"Sully, hi, "she said, opening the door.

He noticed her red, swollen eyes and immediately grew concerned. "Michaela, is everything okay?" he asked quietly, touching her arm.

"Yes, I am fine," she replied, wiping the last of her tears away.

Sully shifted Hannah in his arms. "You don't look like you are okay. Come over here and tell me what is wrong," he stated, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders and guiding her to the sofa.

"That picture over there on the mantle…" she stammered. "That was David and my last photograph together." She lowered her head so he wouldn't see her tears start to build again.

Sully placed a sleepy Hannah on the floor and went to take a closer look at the picture. It caught his breath as he and Abigail had a similar memory except it was soon after they arrived home from the hospital with Hannah. He could feel her pain and heartache. He knew the absolute despair that she was going through.

He moved back to the sofa to sit beside her and took her hand in his. He put a finger under her chin and turned her face toward his. He felt such immense love for her but had to restrain himself. He still fought the daily guilt and pain of losing Abigail and his growing feelings for Michaela.

"Michaela, it's okay to allow yourself time to feel the pain of losing David. My wife, Abigail, is on my mind all of the time. I understand the pain, the guilt, the hopelessness you feel." He declared, using his thumb to rub the back of her hand.

She looked into his eyes, realizing that she also saw his pain for the first time. His eyes were very kind and trustworthy. She felt safe with him. But she hoped that her eyes didn't give away her forbidden feelings about him. How could she allow the attraction for him to be so strong when she was having David's baby? She patted his hand with her free one. She was feeling a little better. Sully always knew the right thing to say to her.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Michaela asked suddenly self-conscious about being in her robe.

"I had some coffee," he answered, picking Hannah up and placing her against his shoulder, rubbing her back to soothe her.

"How about I make some eggs and toast?" Michaela asked, getting up from the sofa and walking into the kitchen.

"Why don't you let me do that?" Sully asked. He placed Hannah gently back on her blanket on the floor.

"Okay," she answered, surprised at the ease they felt with each other. "If you will excuse me, I am going to head upstairs for a minute."

Michaela couldn't believe she was allowing Sully to cook her breakfast!" They had barely known each other but she felt so in tune with him. She felt that he understood her on a much deeper level. She didn't know what had happened to Abigail but she felt that their lives must have been on the same track in the last few months.

She reached the top of the stairs and felt a little winded, her girth was starting to make her uncomfortable. She padded down the narrow hall to the master bedroom. She opened the closet door and looked at the vast array of clothes she had. Since her size was changing rapidly, her selections were changing every few days. She chose a pair of white Capri pants and a royal blue peasant blouse.

Sully had just put breakfast on the table when she walked into the kitchen. He looked up from the table and his mouth dropped open. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had left her hair in a loose braid, hung over her shoulder. Michaela hesitated at the doorway, she noticed his expression.

'What's wrong?" she asked, feeling self-conscious.

"Nothing," he answered, embarrassed that his thoughts were transparent on his face. "That blue is a nice color on you." His eyes sought hers and held them.

"Thanks," she answered. The look in his eyes spoke volumes to her and she wasn't sure she was ready to admit her feelings yet. Just then, they heard Hannah start to stir on her blanket.

"I will get her," Michaela mentioned, wanting to break the spell between them. She reached down to pick Hannah up and she reached out and grabbed Michaela's hand. Sully couldn't believe how Hannah was taking to her. Michaela was going to be a great mother.

Michaela put Hannah on her hip and carried her in the kitchen. She sat down on the kitchen chair and adjusted Hannah so she could eat. She grimaced when she shifted her weight in the chair. Her back was really starting to bother her. There was still so much to do to get Katie's room ready. She went through her mental check list.

"What are you thinking about?" Sully asked.

"Just my list of things I have left to do for Katie's room."

"Oh, like what?" he asked.

"I was just thinking that I need to go buy furniture and paint. Both of which I am not looking forward to with my back staying in knots these days," she mentioned, trying to keep the pain off of her face.

"I can help you out with that. I make furniture for a living," he replied, eating a forkful of eggs.

"You do?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, what pieces do you need?" he asked

"Sully, I don't want to impose on you." She faltered.

"You are not imposing on me. I would be happy to do it. If you would like, you can come over to my garage and take a look at some pieces that I have done for other customers."

"I would like that but," she hesitated. "I would need it in about 8 weeks," she said, rubbing her belly.

She couldn't believe her luck! He was incredibly helpful to her even though they were just getting to know each other. The more she discovered that they shared the same fears, the easier it was becoming for her to release her guilty feelings over David. She was beginning to allow herself to feel happiness while still honoring David's memory. She felt she was becoming more secure in her new life.

"That won't be a problem," he stated. "Oh, to get back to what I originally came over for," he mentioned, changing the subject. "I wanted to see if you wanted to go out for dinner? I can get a babysitter for Hannah." He had said it! He couldn't believe that those words just tumbled from his lips. He looked at the floor, feeling terrified that he had just pushed her away for good. He was afraid to look at her.

She was stunned at his question. He was asking her out on a date! Should she go with him? She couldn't deny the attraction that was between both of them. Michaela felt that if she took this step, there was no going back, that it would change everything.


	6. Chapter 6

With every fiber of her being, she wanted to go to dinner with Sully. She screamed yes in her mind but she felt nervous and hesitant. She was afraid this would change things between them. Michaela rose and went to the sink, staring out the window, she shifted Hannah to her shoulder to soothe her. She was starting to get fussy. Sully walked toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder, brushing loose strands of hair away.

"Michaela, talk to me, what's wrong?" he asked, concern showing in his voice. He took Hannah from her and placed her on her blanket on the floor.

She had tears in her eyes, she turned around to face him. "Sully," she began wiping the tears away. "I would like to go to dinner with you but I'm afraid I can't."

"Why not?"

"I feel it would be disrespectful of David if I did," she answered.

"Michaela," Sully began, rubbing her arm, "David is gone now."

"I know that but I'm carrying his baby, I just don't think it would be proper."

She didn't admit the other reason to him. She was afraid she was falling in love with him but felt an obligation to David.

"Abigail has been gone a few months now but when I find myself thinking of what could have been, I think of what she would want me to do," Sully began. "I know that she would want me to be happy, to enjoy life, to show Hannah the world." He hoped that Michaela would change her mind. He knew that getting out for a while would do her some good.

"Sully, do you mind if I think about it for a while?" she asked, hesitantly looking into his eyes.

He took her hand in his and covered it with his other one. "You can take all of the time you need."

She relaxed at his answer, happy to have some time to think about this huge decision.

"Thank you,"

Just then they heard Hannah stir. She began crying and then started coughing. Sully rushed over to her and picked her up.

"She's burning up with fever!" he cried.

"Let me take a look at her," Michaela stated, taking Hannah in her arms and pressing her lips to her forehead. "It's not very high. I have something upstairs that will help her," she stated, carrying her upstairs.

Sully remained in the living room picking up her blanket and straightening up the kitchen. They did not come immediately back down so he went up to find them.

As he ascended the stairs, he started to hear the most beautiful melody being sung. He quietly crept down the narrow hall, looking in each room for the source of the sound. He found them in Michaela's room.

He stood at the edge of the doorway so as not to disturb them. Hannah was lying in her arms, completely relaxed and Michaela had let her head fall back to rest against the recliner, her eyes closed, singing a lullaby. What a vision they were! Sully thought to himself.

He walked into the room quietly and sat on the edge of the bed. Michaela opened her eyes with a start.

Oh, I'm sorry. I sat down for just a second and my eyes closed."

"It's okay, Hannah looks comfortable there," he mentioned. "You have to be tired too."

Michaela rubbed her back when she started to stir again. "I gave her some cough medicine, she should be okay in a day or so," she picked up her medical bag that was sitting on the floor next to the recliner to give Sully the medicine.

"You're a doctor?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, Pediatrician, to be exact," she answered.

"I am sure glad you were able to help her, I didn't want to have to wait for an appointment."

"I'm glad we caught it before she got worse," she stated.

Sully took Hannah from her, "I should probably take her home. Will you think about what we talked about earlier?"

"Yes, I will," she answered. She felt nervous. She had to make a decision on what to do in her life and quickly.

They made their way back downstairs. Michaela walked him to the door.

"Will you call me later and let me know how she is feeling?" she asked, shyly.

"I promise," he said, looking deeply into her eyes.

That look could melt anyone! She closed the door and leaned against it. Sully made her go weak in the knees. She had to make peace with her past before it ruined her present.

She didn't realize how tired she was feeling. The baby was growing heavier still by the day. Only a few short weeks to go. She rubbed her belly and decided to sit down on the sofa and covers her legs with the blanket that was draped over the back. She closes her eyes and is immediately asleep.

Michaela begins to feel as if she is cloaked in peace. She hears her name being called. The voice is very soft and quiet. It sounds vaguely familiar. Where has she heard that voice before?

"Michaela," she hears, this time if sounds as if the voice is right next to her ear. She hesitantly opens her eyes.

"Hmmm?" she asked, stretched her tired limbs. Once the figure comes into focus, her eyes fly open.

"David!" she cries. She can't believe it.

"Michaela, sweetheart!" he says, sitting down next to her.

She can feel him. He must be real and not a figment of her imagination. The doctor in her knew that this can't possibly be happening. David was gone.

"Sweetheart, I need to tell you something," he began. "Do not dwell on what could have been, dream of what could be. I love you and always will." And with that he was gone from her vision.

Michaela awoke with a fright. Her eyes searching the living room. What just happened? She thought to herself. Was she dreaming? Was David really just here?

She rose from the sofa to get a drink of water in the kitchen. She stood at the sink, staring out the window. She was replaying what David had told her or rather what she imagined in her dream. What did it mean?

How long have I been asleep? She wondered. Glancing at the clock on the wall, two hours had drifted by. Just then her cell phone rang.

"Michaela?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Sully, hi, how is Hannah?" she asked, her voice trembling as she tried to come to terms with hearing David's voice.

"She is starting to improve, the fever is gone,"

"Thank goodness! Could I come over to check on her? She asked, tentatively.

"Sure," he answered.

She felt a peaceful feeling come over her as she walked across the front lawn to Sully's house next door. She was confident that she had just determined the meaning of David's statement. She walked up to his porch and knocked on the door. She heard Wolf bark once to announce her visit.

He opened the door wearing a beautiful blue and white striped chambray shirt, a pair of denim jeans and flip flops. The blue in the shirt accentuated his eyes. Michaela's eye almost popped out of her head! She was sure her jaw dropped open. For the first time, she saw him in a different light. Gone were the nagging feelings of being unfaithful or improper.

Sully stepped aside and let her enter the house.

"I have an answer to your question from earlier," she stated.

"You do?" he asked, eyes sparkling. He was pretty sure what her answer was but he wanted to hear it from her.

"I want to go to dinner with you," she stated, blushing.

Sully's heart was bursting with joy! He took her in his arms, embraced her and kissed the top of her head.

"Now, where is Hannah?" she asked, before her hormones ran away with her.


	7. Chapter 7

Michaela stood before the floor length mirror in her bedroom gazing at her reflection. She cupped her hand under her belly and turned sideways. The baby was due in four weeks. She felt very large and uncomfortable. She had begun feeling some early contractions. She knew from her medical training that they were Braxton-Hicks. They were harmless but uncomfortable, nonetheless.

She let out a sigh and walked over to the bed where she had three maternity dresses spread out. The first was a black maxi dress with white chevron stripes. The second was a Kelly green sheath that fell to her knees and the last was a tangerine colored sundress with an empire waist and a matching white cardigan sweater. She stood back from the bed and carefully studied each dress.

She thought to herself, which one would be the most flattering but still comfortable? She pondered the answer as she touched the fabric of each one. Sully had never mentioned which restaurant they were going to. Since their destination was still a mystery, she opted for the sundress and paired it with strappy sandals. As she was putting the finishing touches on, the doorbell rang.

"Hi, Sully, she stated, stepping aside so he could walk in the house.

Sully could not believe how beautiful she looked. Her hair was pulled up in a soft ponytail. She had a soft smile on her face as she greeted him. He had to fight with everything he had not to take her in his arms and kiss her. He could sense that she was nervous about tonight. He took her hand in his, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, let me grab my handbag, "she answered, removing her hand from his electrified touch.

As they left her house, Sully could sense that Michaela was still holding on to the nervous tensions. She sat in the passenger seat of the SUV with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, a pensive look on her face.

"What's wrong, Michaela?" Sully asked.

"Nothing, I guess I am nervous," She admitted, shyly.

He patted her hand, "There's nothing to be nervous about," he stated reassuringly.

"I know, Sully, but it's been a long time since I have been out with anyone other than David,"

"I understand. We can think of tonight as a dinner among friends. Nothing implied, nothing expected," Sully stated.

She stared out the window of the SUV, thinking of how lucky she was to find someone who was always putting her feelings ahead of his own and appreciated the fact that he was always concerned for her wellbeing. She continued to day dream about David and what he had told her in her dream the other day. She still struggled with the sudden loss of him but felt confident that David would approve of Sully and the special way that he treated her.

"We're here! Sully exclaimed, pulling her out of her revelry. He jumped down out of the SUV and went around to her side of the car to help her out. Michaela looked around at the beautiful landscape. The restaurant was nestled among tall pine trees and gorgeous wild flowers. They were only a few minutes from town but it felt like they were days away from civilization.

The place Sully had brought her to was a tiny restaurant in an A-Frame log cabin with a wraparound porch, green metal roof and smoke coming from the chimney.

"How did you find this place?" she wondered, turning in a circle to view everything around her.

"I rebuilt the porch last summer when it was damaged by a storm," he answered.

"It's a beautiful place," she remarked.

She slipped her arm in his and they walked together up the steps, toward the front doors. The windows at the rear were floor to ceiling and made the landscape appear as if you were dining outside. The walls were made of wooden logs, polished to a shine. The fireplace was in the middle of the room and could be accessed from all sides. There were logs burning to provide the ambiance for the room. The tables had pendant lights over each one to provide a soft white glow which created an intimate setting for each diner. There were white curtains hung on café rods on some of the windows and each table had a red tablecloth. The smell of bread baking permeated the room and served to make Michaela all the more ravenous.

"I hope you like Italian food," Sully stated.

"It is my favorite, Sully," she exclaimed

They were seated at a table in the rear of the restaurant, nestled into a corner with the view of the landscape outside. They were both very hungry and placed their orders right away. Sully ordered the lasagna and Michaela ordered the Fettucine Alfredo with a small salad. There was some awkward silence between them after they gave their orders.

Sully broke the silence. "How are you feeling these last few days?"

"I'm getting fatigued more quickly but doing well," She answered, she didn't want to mention the contractions she had been experiencing from time to time.

"I can imagine. Abby was very tired in her last few weeks of pregnancy with Hannah."

Michaela was surprised that he brought up Abby's name. He didn't mention her very much. She could see his expression change slightly when he mentioned her. He had said that he had worked through the grief of losing her but she could tell the pain was still there. She still felt the loss of David as well. She accepted Sully's dinner invitation as the first step in moving forward.

Their food came to the table as both were lost in thought. The delicious aromas brought them out of their revelries. They enjoyed their meal and each other's company. Michaela was starting to relax and enjoy the night for what it was-dinner with a friend. She couldn't help but wonder about Abby. What happened to her? What was she like? She knew this was a touchy subject with Sully but she needed to know.

"Sully, could I ask you about Abby?" she asked, haltingly, looking down at the last of her food.

He was finishing the last forkful of his lasagna. He looked up surprised at her question. He knew that Michaela would ask about her eventually, he just didn't expect it tonight. He hesitated then began, slowly.

"Abigail and I met when we were in high school. She was a sophomore and I was a senior. The attraction was almost instant for us. She was a shy, quiet girl. Our paths crossed one day after school. She was just leaving a club meeting and I had just finished football practice."

His eyes lit up at the memory of her. Michaela loved the look on his face. He seemed comforted by the memories of their past.

"We clicked almost immediately. We dated for a few years then eventually married. What about you and David?" he asked, shifting the conversation away from him for a bit.

Michaela shifted in her seat. She wasn't prepared for his question so soon. "David and I met some years ago in Boston. I was just out of medical school and he was on leave from the Army." She placed her hands under her chin as she thought back to their early days together. She had pushed a lot of her memories of David to the back of her mind. When she left Boston, she tried to run away from their relationship. She had felt so alone in those days after he died. Sully watched the expression change on her face as she recalled their life together. This pleased him as he understood her exact thoughts. His lips curved into a slight smile.

"David has left for his 2nd tour of duty to the Middle East," she mentioned, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Sully leaned forward and took Michaela's hand and squeezed in reassurance.

"I begged him not to go, but he told me he would be back in just a few weeks, "she dabbed at the tears. "Sully, it was just a week later that two uniformed officers came to my door. He had been shot."

Sully's heart ached for her. He wanted to hug her and take her pain away. "Michaela, I am so sorry," he felt that no matter what he said, it wasn't adequate for her pain.

"Thank you, but it's getting better, a little each day. I didn't tell you but he came to me in a dream and spoke to me! I feel more at peace now, even though it's still painful to talk about. She wanted to shift their conversation back to him. You didn't finish answering my question."

Sully didn't like to be the center of attention for very long. But he felt that he could trust his private heartaches with Michaela. "We had only been home with Hannah for six weeks," he began, feeling the pain flooding back to him. He took a deep breath. "We had ran out of diapers and a few other baby necessities. Abby was eager to get out of the house, she hadn't left since she'd gotten home from the hospital. She hadn't been gone an hour when a police car pulled up in front of the house." He could feel his heart starting to pound as he hadn't spoken about this to anyone. "She was killed by a drunk driver on the way home."

Michaela sucked in a ragged breath upon hearing those words. She could see his eyes start to glisten with tears. She felt honored that he was sharing his pain with her. He took a deep breath to clear the lump that was forming in his throat. He glanced outside and wanted to get off this subject.

"I have some ideas for the design for Katie's furniture. Would you like to stop by on the way home to take a look at them?" he asked, starting to feel calmer.

"Yes, I would love to see your ideas!" she answered

Sully paid the bill and helped her from her chair. They made their way through the restaurant, feeling a little more close to one another. They had shared their private pain and it had helped them both move closer to healing their wounds.

A few minutes later, they had arrived at Sully's home. He helped her down from the SUV. She followed him down the narrow pathway that ran beside his house to the detached garage in the back yard. He unlocked the wooden door. It slowly creaked open and he flipped the lights on. The bright, florescent lights revealed some of the most beautiful wood work she had ever seen. She could tell that he was passionate about his work and possessed a great talent for doing so.

She ran her hand along a sofa table near the door. She felt its smooth, lacquered finish. The rich cherry wood and dove tail designs on the drawer. "This is beautiful, Sully."

"Thank you. Here are the designs I've come up with for Katie's furniture." He mentioned, unfurling plans akin to an architect's drawing. He was very detailed and had planned every piece beautifully. She was amazed at what must have taken him hours to complete.

"These are amazing drawings! I love them." She exclaimed.

Sully watched her expression and felt such love for her. He had opened up his heart to her about Abigail and she had, in return, shared her pain. He knew that he had moved their relationship along rather quickly but he felt such a connection with her and her with him. He surmised that her presence had helped him heal a little more from losing Abigail. He found Michaela's gaze and held it. For the first time, revealing his love for her in his eyes. He felt his heart speed up as he walked closer to her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, pulling her closer. She complied with him and moved closer.

Their lips met tentatively. He stepped back to look at her, gauging her response. She gave him her approval. She initiated their next kiss. Her lips touched his in a feather light kiss as his arms drew her tighter to him. He met her kiss, intensifying their connection. Michaela felt her pulse quicken and her body flush, she felt lightheaded. She moved her hands to caress the back of his neck. Sully moved to kiss the side of her neck, trailing kisses up to her ear. She felt gooseflesh spring up as he kissed her. She shivered in response to his touch. Just then she felt Katie kick.

Sully felt her tense up. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, I just felt Katie kick," she answered, holding her belly. "I see she has good timing already,"

"Can I feel?"

"Sure, she took his hand and placed it on the right side of her belly. Katie kicked in response.

"I felt her!" Sully exclaimed, looking at Michaela.

"It's amazing but a little painful," she admitted.

Sully leaned forward and kissed her cheek. This had turned out to be an amazing evening.

He sensed that she may be getting a little tired, "If you are good with the furniture plans, why don't I go ahead and take you home?"

"Okay, thank you. I love the work you have put into Katie's furniture. I am glad we could spend some time together tonight."

He bid her good night at her door. As he was walking back to his house, he was running over the day's events in his mind. He felt at peace with his past. It was still painful to talk of the sudden loss of Abby but he knew that would always be with him but it was Michaela that helped him see how good the future could be.

Little did Sully know that someone from Michaela's past would come visiting soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Michaela slept well that night for the first time in a while. She awoke to the phone ringing. She lay in bed, not wanting to rise yet but she also didn't want to listen to the phone ringing any longer. She tossed the blankets aside and slowly got out of bed. She blindly searched for the phone in the dark. She found it on her dresser.

"Hello?" she asked, sleepily.

"Michaela! How are you?" Rebecca asked.

"Rebecca! How nice to hear from you. I am doing fine. The baby is getting bigger by the day," She chuckled.

"I'm sorry for calling so early. I forget about our time differences," Rebecca apologized.

"Don't worry about it, Rebecca, it's nice to hear your voice," she stated, sitting back on the edge of her bed.

"I regret having to tell you but I'm not going to be able to make it to your house before Katie arrives. I took a tumble down the porch steps and broke my ankle a few days ago."

"Oh, Rebecca! Michaela cried. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, just sore. The doctor told me that I need to rest and keep my weight off of it for a few weeks. I'm sick with regret not being able to be there with you." Rebecca stated.

"Rebecca, please don't worry, it can't be helped. I will be fine. I have Sully to help me."

"Sully?" Rebecca asked, surprised.

"He is a neighbor of mine. We've become very good friends," Michaela stated, blushing.

"Oh, really?" Rebecca asked, with a smile on her face.

"Yes, Sully is a very gentle man. He's helped me heal a great deal from the pain of losing David and in a strange twist of fate, he had just lost his wife as well," Michaela mentioned.

"Michaela, I trust you and I believe that you won't put yourself in harm's way. You know how Mother worries so about you," Rebecca cautioned.

"Rebecca, it's nothing like that. Sully is a very nice person. He has a baby daughter himself. I can completely trust him," Michaela defended.

"I'm glad that you have someone you can depend on out there. What are the odds you would move across country and find someone with practically the same story?"

"I know, I am very lucky indeed," she answered.

"I spoke to Daniel the other day," Rebecca began. She could almost hear the sigh on Michaela's end. "He asked about you. I think he is interested in you."

"I know, but the truth is, I like him as David's friend and nothing more," Michaela stated.

"He did tell me he has business in Colorado Springs in a few weeks and wanted to visit with you."

Michaela thought it was strange that Daniel didn't call her but instead spoke about his plans with Rebecca. She felt uneasy at the thought of Daniel coming back over. She recalled the looks that he and Sully exchanged when he was helping her move in.

She fell silent. "Are you okay?" Rebecca asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, hesitating. She couldn't put her finger on it but something about Daniel was beginning to make her uneasy.

"Okay, I want you to take care of yourself. I'm sorry I can't be there with you right now," Rebecca apologized once more.

"Thank you." Michaela put her phone back on the dresser. She contemplated going back to bed or getting up for the day. Her to-do list won out and she padded over to the closet to get dressed for the day.

A week passed since she had spoken with Rebecca. Michaela was sitting in her favorite chair with a cup of coffee in her back yard when she heard a noise coming from Sully's garage. She saw him open the door and emerge covered in saw dust and a plume of dust following him outside. Sully was brushing the dust off of him when he heard laughing. He looked up to see Michaela's face red, she had put her coffee down and was holding her belly she was laughing so hard at the sight of him!

"What's so funny?" he asked, walking over to lean on the fence that separated their lawns. She had to contain herself before she answered.

"You are!" she laughed. "I heard a loud noise and the next thing I see is you coming out of the garage in a plume of saw dust."

"I bet I do look silly," he laughed. "My belt sander malfunctioned and blew dust everywhere. There's now a thick layer on everything!" he stated, continuing to wipe dust from his hair and shoulders. "I was working on Katie's furniture at the time; it's almost finished if you would like to take a look at them." He offered.

'Yes, I would love it, let me get my sandals from the house," she disappeared briefly inside.

He was in the process of cleaning the excess dust off of the crib, changing table and dresser when she arrived at the door. They had already been sanded to a smooth finish. Michaela ran her hand across the pieces, amazed at the expert workmanship and detail that Sully put into them. The crib and changing table were created in a Jenny Lind style.

"Sully, these are amazing!" she stated, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm glad you like them. What color of stain would you like?"

"I like the dark cherry stain," she replied, thinking of some things she had already placed in Katie's room.

Just then she winced and grabbed her stomach. "Ouch!" she cried as she felt a sharp pain run across the top of her belly.

"Michaela, are you okay?" Sully asked, concerned.

'I'm not sure," she answered, as the second contraction came quickly after the first one ended. "Can you get me back to my house?"

"I think I should take you to the hospital," Sully stated, ushering her to the car. After a hasty phone call to his babysitter, they were on their way.

The ride to the hospital was gut wrenching for Sully. He could hardly bear to see Michaela in so much pain. He offered his hand for her to squeeze every time she felt a contraction. She cried out and Sully sped up, weaving in and out of traffic. It felt like the hospital was still miles away. His heart was pounding with fear and excitement. After passing several more blocks, they arrived at the hospital, Chateau Springs General. It was a fairly small hospital for the area but was one of the finest in terms of care. He put the SUV in park and ran inside and located a doctor standing behind the counter. Sully explained his situation and both came running out with a wheelchair.

Michaela was drenched in sweat and her contractions were practically on top of each other. She barely had time to relax in between each one. She was sure Katie was almost here. Sully carefully helped her out of the SUV and wheeled her inside. The doctor took over and Sully stopped at the nurse's station to fill out the paperwork.

Sully arrived at Michaela's room just in time to witness Katie being born. He stood there, staring in awe, at the tiny baby, screaming. She had a full head of brown hair. Her feet and legs pumping furiously in the air.

"She is beautiful," he stated quietly, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "I think she was in a hurry to see her mom." Michaela did not answer him but acknowledged with a tired smile.

A few hours passed. Sully and Michaela both drifted in and out of sleep. Sully awoke to the tiny grunting noises of Katie. He padded over quietly to her bassinet and gently picked her up. Katie grabbed his pinky finger and his heart melted. He cradled her close to him and rocked her back and forth to soothe her. He felt that life couldn't get any better. He loved Katie just like she was his daughter.

Michaela had heard Sully stir and slowly opened her eyes. She saw him pick Katie up. She watched them interact with each other. It brought a smile to her lips. Katie still had a firm grip on his finger and was looking up at him as he quietly talked to her. Michaela realized that Hannah was lucky to have Sully as a father. She thought ahead to the future and how she was going to have to tell Katie about David. It made her sad knowing Katie would never know the amazing person he was. She was thankful for Sully and all that he had done for her in just the few short months she lived in Colorado Springs.

"Mrs. Sully?" the attending doctor asked as he entered her room, flipping through her chart.

"That's Dr. Quinn," she corrected.

As soon as the doctor heard her voice, he stopped immediately. "Could it be her?" he thought to himself. "Michaela Quinn?"

"Yes," she stated, moving to sit up in her bed.

"I'm Dr. William Burke," he stated, matter-of-factly, waiting for his name to register to her.

Michaela couldn't believe it. She had gone to medical school with William back in Boston. They briefly dated before she met David. He felt she had dropped him in order to see David. He was heartbroken and never forgot the pain.

"Hi, Dr. Burke, it is nice to see you after all of these years," she said, quietly.

William silently wondered where David was and who the man was that was here today. He acknowledged Sully's presence with a head nod and checked Michaela and Katie's vital signs. His professionalism prevented him from asking too many questions. He would get his answers soon enough. Sully thought of him as a rather cold, distant person. Who was he to Michaela? Why did her demeanor change when he was around?

"Well, everything appears to be in good order," he stated. "I am going to release you both tomorrow morning." He made another note in her chart and left the room.

The next morning, Sully was outside preparing the car seat in the SUV when Dr. Burke came back in for a final visit.

"Michaela, it's been a long time since we've spoken with each other. I'd like to meet and catch up on some things." He stated.

She was trying really hard to escape from her past but it seemed to keep following her. She didn't introduce Sully to him because she didn't want to involve him in her and William's past. She had dated him for a short time until she discovered that he was a little clingy and had some possessive tendencies.

"William, I think we do need to talk about some things as well. I will get in touch with you in a few weeks." She hoped that she could just escape him altogether but knew the best thing was to confront this head on.

Sully had been standing in the hall next to her door. He had heard the last statement that she told William. What did she mean? He wondered to himself. What was she keeping from me? He made a mental note to ask her later.

He had Michaela and Katie buckled into the SUV. He slowly pulled into traffic. He was lost in thought on who William was to her.

"Sully, is something wrong?" Michaela asked, concerned.

"No," he lied. He didn't want to take away this happy moment. "I am excited that Katie is finally here," he continued, looking in the rear view mirror in Katie's direction.

"Yes, me too. Hannah will have a new friend to play with in a few months," she said, touching Sully's arm. Michaela leaned back against the head rest and closed her eyes. Her life felt perfect at this moment. She would deal with William and Daniel when the time was right.


	9. Chapter 9

Michaela was settling in nicely with Katie. She had been home for two weeks. Sully checked in a few times per week. He wanted to give her some time and space so she could bond with her. He knew how special the early days were. He had only been a father for a few months himself but it felt like it had been ages since Hannah was born.

She was sitting in the recliner in Katie's room, watching her as she slept. This was a very peaceful time for her. It had become part of her routine. She reminisced about David and how happy he would have been now. Katie had his blue eyes and dark hair. She vowed that Katie would know who her father was. She rose and leaned over the crib to gently rub her back.

"I love you, sweet girl," she murmured. She grabbed the baby monitor and took it downstairs to the kitchen. She poured a cup of coffee and went to sit on the front porch. It was still early morning and the sun was just now rising over Pikes Peak. This was her favorite time of day. The world was still quiet and she could be alone with her thoughts. There was a soft, gentle breeze with a slight chill to it. She felt it caress her face as she leaned back against the chair and closed her eyes. She listened to the birds chirping and relaxed while listening to their songs. This was certainly something that you cannot hear in Boston, she thought.

She heard her phone ringing on the living room table. She quickly rose to make sure she reached it before it stopped ringing.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hi, Michaela," Rebecca answered.

"Rebecca! I've missed you, how is your ankle?"

"The doctor says I am completely healed!" Rebecca gushed.

"That is great news! Now when are you coming out for a visit?"

"Well, that is why I am calling," she began, excitedly. "What days are best for you?"

"How does this weekend sound?" Michaela offered.

"Perfect! I will see you then," Rebecca responded.

"I am looking forward to seeing you and can't wait for you to meet Katie! She looks a lot like David," Michaela replied.

"I can't wait to meet her and spoil her. I will see you in a few days. I love you."

"I love you too," Michaela answered.

Michaela ended the call and placed the phone back on the table. Oh my! I have so much to do to get the house ready for Rebecca's visit! She thought to herself.

She sat at the kitchen table to make a list of items when she heard Katie starting to stir on the baby monitor.

"Good morning, Katie," she cooed at her newborn. Michaela picked her up and cuddled her closely. She changed her diaper and put on a fresh gown. She settled on the sofa to nurse her when she heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's Sully."

"Come in, Sully," she answered.

He came in and closed the door behind him. Sully looked down at Michaela and Katie. They made such a beautiful sight. His heart swelled with love for them both. He shifted Hannah on his hip. She was growing heavier by the day. They settled on the chair across the living room from Michaela.

"How are you doing, Sully?" she asked.

"Things are going well. I finished up another large furniture order last night. This will free up more time for me and Hannah….and you," he answered, patting Hannah's back. He looked at her after he finished talking, not sure how she would take that but it didn't appear to have bothered her.

"I'm glad you will have some free time, my sister, Rebecca, is coming out for a visit in a few days to see Katie."

"That is great! What do you think about having a small party?" he asked.

Michaela mulled over the thought of a party. She still had so much she wanted to do to get the house just the way she wanted it.

"I don't know, Sully, it sounds like it would be fun but I have so much left to finish here," she answered.

"We could do a barbeque in my backyard," he reasoned. "That way it will remove the stress of preparations from you."

"That sounds like a fun idea," Michaela agreed.

"Why don't you and Katie come over in a couple of hours and we can set up a menu."

"That sounds lovely, Sully. Thank you for offering," she stated, moving to rise from the sofa.

"No, please don't get up," he stated, moving toward her. "You have your hands full," he smiled, leaning over to give her a kiss. Sully let himself out and quietly shut the door behind him.

A couple of hours later, Michaela and Katie arrived at Sully's front door. She quietly knocked. Wolf announced her visit with a loud yelp. Sully called after Wolf and announced for her to come in.

Michaela opened the door to see Sully on his hands and knees on the floor cleaning up Cheerios with Hannah in her high chair excitedly clapping her hands. She suppressed a chuckle at the amusing display.

'What happened here?" she asked, smiling, putting the baby carrier down next to her on the floor.

Sully scooped up the last of the cereal and stood up. "Hannah is discovering snack time is more fun when the food is thrown on the floor," he answered, laughing.

"I see that!" she mentioned, no longer able to control her laughter anymore.

"So you think that is funny?" he teased, walking toward her.

Sully gently grabbed her wrists and pulled her close to him. He put his arms around her waist. She felt her heart rate speed up. He gazed into her eyes with an amused smile on his face. She felt her face flush with warmth. He was mere inches from her lips. Sully had this special way of looking right into her soul. She relaxed and let him pull her closer until their lips met. She felt the tingle of his touch. She raised her hands to his neck and entwined her hands in his hair. He had such thick, soft hair.

He trailed kisses along her neck to her ear. This made her shiver with excitement. She felt his hands sliding up her back to cup the back of her neck. She felt herself drowning in his touch. This felt so good and it had been so long since she'd had such close, intimate contact with someone.

As he continued to trail kisses down her throat, Michaela was afraid they would get carried away if she didn't pull away. After all, the babies were in the room with them. Darn my sensibilities! She thought to herself.

"Sully," she whispered, barely audible.

"Hmmm?" he absently answered as he continued to trail kisses along her collarbone.

"I think we should stop," she stated, without conviction. "The girls are in the room with us."

Sully reluctantly pulled back from her. He touched his forehead to hers and emitted a low rumble in his throat.

"Michaela, you have no idea what you do to me! He stepped back to look at her.

She blushed and looked toward the floor. She needed to calm her nerves and change the subject.

"Perhaps we should discuss what we want to serve at the barbeque?"

Just then Michaela heard her phone ring in her bag.

"Excuse me, Sully," she stated and picked up her bag next to Katie's carrier.

"Hello?" she asked, somewhat annoyed.

"Michaela Quinn?" the person on the other end asked.

"Yes, whom may I ask is calling?"

Sully picked up Hannah from her high chair and turned to look at her, a concerned look on his face.

"Hi, this is William. William Burke," he answered.

"Hi, William," she answered.

Sully grew concerned at the mention of his name. He needed to ask Michaela about him. There was something about William that caused her distress. He walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and looked at him. He gave her quiet strength.

"I'm not able to talk right now, can I call you later?" she disconnected the call and put the phone down.

"Want to talk about it?" Sully asked.

Michaela took Katie from her carrier and sat down at the table. "Sully, I don't want to involve you in my past problems," she answered.

He moved to sit down next to her. "Michaela, you can tell me anything," he replied, caressing her hand.

She knew that this was something that she should get off her chest. It was something that happened so long ago, it was time to close that chapter.

"Sully," she began, trying to get her thoughts in order. "William and I were introduced by mutual friends. We dated for a while before I met David. There was no hint of his true personality in the beginning. He was charming to everyone around him but when we were alone, he was a different person. As time progressed, he became more controlling and possessive of me. This went on for a while. I was afraid of doing anything to upset him out of fear of what he may do.

Sully felt his heart break for Michaela. What kind of man treats a woman like that? He saw a tear slip from her eyes. He leaned closer and wiped them away with his thumb. She touched his wrist and smiled. He gave her such strength.

"I met David in medical school and he gave me the strength to leave William. No one believed me or understood that he was capable of anything improper."

"I'm glad that David helped you to get away from him," Sully mentioned.

"Yes, he urged me to stop all contact immediately. I didn't tell William that I was leaving the relationship, I just stopped answering his calls. In retrospect, I probably should have handled that differently." She reasoned.

"Michaela, you did what you thought was best."

"Thank you, Sully. I can't believe after all this time that I ran into him out here on one of the happiest days of my life," she lamented.

"It's probably for the best. As one door opens, another should close," Sully mentioned.

"Yes, I suppose you could be right. I will call him later tonight."

"Do you want me to be there with you?" he asked.

"No, I should be okay, but thanks for offering."

"Well, how about we get these plans together?" Sully asked, getting up from the table.

"Yes! Let's do that!" she cried, grateful for the change of subject.

Later that night, Katie was settled in bed. Michaela decided it was the right time to call William. She settled on the sofa to call. Her heart was pounding in anticipation of bringing up the past and her memories.

She dialed his number. "Hello?" he asked.

"William, this is Michaela," she stated, a little nervous.

"Michaela, it's nice to hear from you. I was beginning to wonder if you were avoiding me." Michaela cringed slightly at those words. This brought a lot of hurt to the surface that she thought was gone.

"Look, William, we need to move forward from the past," She began, steeling her nerves. "We had our difficulties in our relationship."

"I don't know what you are talking about," he stated.

"Don't you remember the way you treated me?" Michaela asked, finding it hard to believe he didn't recall anything.

"Now, Michaela, you know I didn't mean any harm by anything I did. It's just my way, I guess," he answered. "What I don't understand is why you just stopped answering my calls?"

"William, I can't understand why you would think it's okay for the way you treated me? You never let me go anywhere or do anything without you around!" She could feel her blood starting to boil. How dare he brush her feelings under the rug like they didn't matter.

She had changed since she last talked to William. David had helped her rebuild her self-confidence and self-worth.

"Now, Michaela," he said. "I never realized you felt that I treated you wrong."

"You did and it scared me that's why I stopped responding to your calls."

"Michaela, I never knew you had issues with our relationship but this explains why I never heard from you again."

'William, I tried to talk to you but you never wanted to listen to me."

"Michaela, I apologize for any misunderstanding between us. But I assure you that I never meant to make you feel bad. But I don't feel I did anything wrong."

She couldn't believe she had just heard him apologize to her, albeit, an offhanded one.

"William, I must go. At least we partially cleared the air. I am in a good place now and don't wish you any ill will but please do not contact me again."

With that she disconnected the call. She was upset but she was much stronger this time than when they were dating. She had much better things to look forward to and she was letting this go.

Michaela was pouring a glass of water in the kitchen when she heard a knock at the door. She checked the peep hole and discovered it was Sully and Hannah. She opened the door quickly, thinking something was wrong.

"Sully, is everything okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Yes! I was just checking on you. Did you talk with William?"

"Yes, I just finished speaking with him. Everything is as good as it will be. I am glad to put the past to rest."

"Now, we can look forward to having fun this weekend!" Sully stated.

"I can't wait!" she kissed him soundly on the lips. In her relief to be finished with confronting William and the excitement of her sister coming, she let her inhibitions drop a little. She didn't realize what she did until she saw Sully's reaction.

I'm sorry! She cried, embarrassed. "I don't know what I was thinking."

Sully loved that about Michaela. She could be shy and demure but also bold and self-confident. He felt his blood heat up with her kiss. Oh how he loved her! He couldn't wait for the barbeque, he had something special planned for her!


	10. Chapter 10

The day of the barbeque finally arrived. Sully was busy in the backyard setting up picnic tables and getting the grill started. Rebecca would be arriving in a few hours. Michaela had both Hannah and Katie with her today. The girls were in Katie's room while she finished getting ready. She heard the front door open and close.

"Michaela?" Sully called.

"I'm upstairs in my room," she answered, brushing out her hair. Sully climbed the stairs, two at a time. He passed Katie's room and paused, looking in at them. They were taking a nap and seeing the two of them together looked so natural, like they were sisters. He envisioned this being his family.

He continued down the hallway until he found her room. Michaela was sitting at her vanity, brushing out her hair. She always took his breath away. He loved to watch her when she didn't realize he was watching. She caught his reflection in her mirror and blushed, wondering how long he had been standing there.

"Hi," she stated.

"Here, let me do that," he said taking the brush from her hand. He had always loved it when she wore her hair down and loose. He gathered the loose strands in his hand and brushed down the length of her hair. She closed her eyes and focused on his touch. He was so gentle. He watched her expression in the mirror. He felt his blood heat up. He leaned over to kiss her on her neck. She jumped slightly at his touch, bringing her out of her reverie.

"Sully," she whispered, touching his hand.

"Hmmm?" he replied, continuing with his kisses along the side of her neck.

"Did you need something?" she asked, fighting the urge to be consumed by him.

He stopped kissing as she brought him back to the present.

"What? Oh, yes I do." He stammered. "Do you have some extra charcoal for the grill? I forgot to pick some up from the store."

"Yes, it's in the garage," she answered.

"What time will Rebecca be arriving today?" he asked, trying to determine when to begin cooking.

"She should arrive around 3 o'clock this afternoon."

"Okay, that will give me plenty of time, that is still a few hours away," he responded.

She took his hand in hers and kissed it. "Thank you, Sully, for offering to have the picnic at your house."

Her touch made his skin tingle. He was losing the battle to keep his emotions in check. He gently slid his hand from hers and lightly kissed her on the forehead. He had to put a little distance between them today or he would never get anything accomplished!

"Don't mention it, I am happy to do it," he replied.

Sully left her to finish getting ready. Michaela padded down to Katie's room once she was finished and checked in on the girls. They looked so peaceful. Hannah was starting to crawl and Katie was beginning to laugh and had just recently discovered her hands and feet. She was growing so fast. She wondered how long she would be able to handle Katie without help once she started to become more mobile.

Michaela grabbed the baby monitor and went downstairs to gather the girl's things to take over to Sully's. She never realized how many things were required to keep a baby happy and safe. She felt like she was packing up for a vacation. As she finished preparing the carrier for Katie and the baby sling for Hannah, she heard Hannah stirring on the monitor.

She brought the baby sling with her to carry Hannah in and would put Katie on her shoulder to bring her back downstairs. She certainly had her hands full!

"I'm coming Hannah!" she announced. Her blonde hair growing longer and was curling at the nape of her neck. She picked her up and quickly changed her diaper and put her in the baby sling and leaned over the crib to pick up Katie.

She walked the girls over to Sully's house to see if he needed any more help with the preparations. The backyard looked very inviting. There were red and white checked table cloths on the tables, paper lanterns hung over head and white lights strung from the house to the garage. Wolf was pacing back and forth, his tongue hanging out, wondering if he was going to get a burger today. He greeted her with sloppy kisses and raised up to sniff at the girls. He decided they were approved to join in the party and went to sniff out the grill area.

Michaela let herself in the back door and called out to Sully.

"Sully! Need any help?"

He met her in the kitchen and helped her with the girls. He laid them back down in Hannah's room to continue their nap in the hope that they would be in a good mood once the guests arrived.

"Yes, can you chop those vegetables over on the counter?" he answered, gesturing to the broccoli, cauliflower and carrots heaped in a pile next to the sink.

Michaela washed her hands and found the knife in the drawer. She was just about finished when he came back to check on her. He walked up quietly behind her and placed a kiss on the back of her neck. She shivered at his touch.

"Sully!" she cried.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"We have people coming over soon!" she admonished.

"I know that! There's no harm in a little kiss, is there?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sully," she blushed.

"Oh, alright," he gave in and snuck in one last peck on her cheek.

Sully retreated back outside to make sure everything was perfect. He fussed with the decorations overhead to make sure they were just right. Tonight, he was going to surprise Michaela with something special.

Michaela had just finished washing her hands when she heard Sully's doorbell ring. She went to call for him but didn't see him out in the yard. She tentatively walked to the door, wondering if she should be answering his door.

She didn't recognize them but thought they knew Sully. She peered through the window and saw an older couple. They both had long dark hair and were wearing Indian jewelry.

"Hello?" she stated as she opened the door.

"Hi, is this Sully's house?" they asked, questioning themselves since they didn't recognize her.

"Yes, he is out back."

"I'm Michaela," she offered, extending her hand.

"Hi, I am Cloud Dancing and this is my wife, Snowbird," he explained.

"Nice to meet you, please come in. I will show you to the back yard," she stepped back to allow them to come in the house.

"Sully, there are some people here to see you," she mentioned as they followed her out of the back door.

He looked up from the grill and smiled. "Cloud Dancing, Snowbird! I'm so glad you came! I see that you have already met Michaela." He said walking over to her and putting his arm around her.

Cloud Dancing looked at Michaela and smiled. "Yes we have."

"Please, make yourselves at home," Sully said, gesturing at the tables. "Would you like something to drink?"

They talked for a while, getting to know one another. Their conversation was easy. Michaela felt like she had known them her entire life. She glanced down at her watch. Rebecca would be arriving soon. She needed to go back to her house to make sure she was home when she got here.

"If you will excuse me, Rebecca will be arriving soon. I am going to go back to my house to greet her. I will be right back."

They watched her walk away. Cloud Dancing could see the admiration and pride in Sully's face. It had been a long time since he had seen him this happy. He also knew of the surprise that he had for Michaela tonight.

Rebecca arrived right on time. Michaela practically ran down the porch steps to greet her.

"Rebecca!" she cried. "Oh, I've missed you so!"

"Me too!" soon both of them were crying in the front yard.

Michaela grabbed her suitcase from her and walked her inside the house. Rebecca stopped just inside the front door and looked around.

"Your house is stunning. I love what you have done with the place."

"Thank you, I still have some things I would like to finish but with Katie, it's difficult right now."

"Speaking of Katie, where is my newest niece?" Rebecca asked, her hands on her hips.

"She is next door at Sully's house," she replied. "We are having a barbeque today and want you to join us."

"I would love to."

"Would you like to freshen up first?" Michaela asked.

"No, I am fine and a little hungry," she answered.

"Okay, let's head next door," she stated, showing Rebecca the way.

Michaela could smell the burgers on the grill the closer they got to his back yard. Her mouth started watering.

"Hello, everyone," she mentioned. "I'd like you to meet my oldest sister, Rebecca."

"Hello, nice to meet you," everyone almost said in unison.

"You must be Sully," she said, shaking his hand.

"Yes, ma'am, that is me," he answered.

Rebecca talked over her shoulder to Michaela in a feigned whisper. "You are right, he is handsome!"

Michaela turned a bright shade of red. Sully just smiled at her embarrassment.

"Rebecca, I'd like you to meet two of my very best friends, Cloud Dancing and his wife, Snowbird," Sully offered.

"Nice to meet you," she stated as she shook their hands.

Michaela heard the girls starting to wake up on the baby monitor. "Excuse me, I think the girls are ready to get up."

"I will help you," Rebecca offered, following her in the house.

Once inside, Rebecca remarked on how nice Sully and his friends were. "You have found some lovely friends, Michaela. I am so happy for you and the life you have now."

"Yes, I am very happy too and very fortunate."

Michaela picked up Hannah and let Rebecca hold Katie for the first time. She marveled at her newest niece. "She is gorgeous, Michaela, and you are right, I can see a lot of David in her."

"Yes, I guess that means that she will have my personality!" Michaela chuckled.

The food was done just as they were bringing the babies outside. Cloud Dancing and Snowbird offered to take Hannah from Michaela.

Snowbird cuddled Hannah. "I want you to eat first," she mentioned to Michaela. "I am sure you do not get many hot meals now a days."

"Thank you Snowbird, and you are right, I don't," she chuckled.

They enjoyed each other's company immensely. They ate in friendly silence and took turns cuddling the babies and entertaining them. The barbeque was a great success.

Sully started a fire in the fire pit as the sun was going down. Michaela moved to sit next to the fire to warm her feet. She was holding Hannah and Katie and rocking them to sleep. Sully sat across from her, watching her without her noticing. She looked so peaceful and relaxed. She had come a long way since she moved out here a few months ago. Their friendship had blossomed quickly into a budding romance. Sully surmised it was perfect timing in both of their lives as everything was falling into place so quickly and easily.

Cloud Dancing, Snowbird and Rebecca all gathered next to them around the fire. Cloud Dancing began talking of his ancestors and how they used to spend the nights around the fire telling stories.

"I would love to hear your stories," Rebecca encouraged him.

At that moment, Sully quietly got up and went inside to retrieve a tiny box for Michaela.

Cloud Dancing regaled them with the story of how man and woman used to be together in one body but one day the spirits grew angry at them and split them apart. Now, they spend all of their life trying to get back together.

As he was finishing his story, Sully moved to sit next to Michaela. She didn't notice the box in his hand but Cloud Dancing did.

Snowbird knew what Sully was getting ready to do. She offered to take Hannah from Michaela.

Sully scooted his chair around to face Michaela. She became suspicious when she saw Sully get nervous and take one of her hands in his.

Rebecca figured out his plans too. She was sitting on the edge of her seat, hardly able to contain her excitement.

"Michaela," he began, his voice trembling slightly. "I have known since the beginning that you and I had a connection on a deeper level. We met at a time in our lives when we needed someone to help us heal and move forward. I want to spend the rest of my days with you."

Everyone had tears in their eyes. Michaela felt her throat constrict. She hugged Katie tighter to her.

"Will you do me the honor of being my wife?" Sully asked, feeling his chest tighten up.

"Yes! Sully, I will!" she cried.

Thank you so much for your reviews and for sticking with my story. I had some extra time and wanted to get Chapter 10 out.


	11. Chapter 11

Michaela lay on her back in bed, extending her arm upward so she could look at her engagement ring again. She could not believe that Sully had proposed to her! Her life was changing so quickly. She was brought out of her reverie by the sounds of Katie crying from her room. She sighed and tossed the covers off of her.

"I'm coming Katie!" she announced as she padded down the hallway.

"Shh, it's okay, sweet girl," she stated, picked her up from her crib. "Are you hungry?" she asked, patting her on the back.

Michaela situated Katie in her high chair while she prepared some baby cereal. The sunlight reflected off of her ring as she stood at the stove. She smiled as she looked down at it again. She couldn't wait to become Mrs. Byron Sully. But she couldn't help but reflect back on William and Daniel. She felt things weren't officially settled with them yet. She would have to take care of the loose ends before she could enjoy life with Sully.

She made a mental note to call Daniel later today. She had just finished feeding Katie when she heard her phone ring.

The phone number looked vaguely familiar. "Hello?" she asked.

"Hello, Michaela," William stated.

"William," she replied, sounding somewhat upset that he called her again when she had told him that she didn't want any more contact with him.

"I just had to talk with you one more time, Michaela," he stated, apologetically.

"William, I said everything to you that I needed to, I don't feel there is a reason to continue our conversation," she replied.

"Michaela, I've been thinking about the last conversation we had and I feel I should explain myself a little better," he stated.

Michaela was getting impatient with him as she felt he was using excuses to prolong their interactions.

"William, what do you mean?" she asked.

"Can we meet for dinner or something later today and I can explain?" he asked.

She thought about this and what it could mean. She wanted him to leave her alone but also wanted to see what he could have to say to her.

"I don't think that is such a good idea," she replied, glancing at her ring, thinking of Sully.

She didn't want to share her latest news with him. This was her private life and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Okay," he acquiesced. "Maybe, I will see you at a later date."

What Michaela didn't know was that William already knew that she was engaged.

After breakfast was finished, she placed Katie on her blanket in the living room to play for a while. Michaela cleaned up the kitchen. As she was finishing the last dish, her phone rang again. It was Daniel this time.

"What a strange coincidence," she thought. Both men that I needed to talk to actually called me.

"Michaela, so nice to hear your voice," he stated.

"Hi, Daniel, how are you doing?"

"Couldn't be better," he answered. "I will be in town soon and would like to know if I can come by for a visit. I haven't met Katie yet."

"That's right, you haven't been here since you helped me move in. Sure, I would like for you to see her. She looks a lot like David." She stated.

"Great! I will be in town on business later this week. How does this Saturday afternoon sound?"

"That will be fine," she answered.

Daniel hung up the phone and smiled. He was going to see his Michaela.

Michaela decided to visit Sully with the news of Daniel coming by later in the week.

She picked Katie up from her blanket on the floor and walked across the yard to his house. She was greeted on the front porch by Wolf. He was growing so fast, almost as fast as Hannah was. She was starting to crawl around.

Sully met her at the door as she was getting ready to knock.

"Wow, that's what I call service!" she squealed in delight.

"I aim to please!" he answered with a soft kiss. He leaned forward to kiss Katie on the forehead.

"How are my girls today?"

"We are fine but I must tell you about the two phone calls I just received." She began.

Sully led the way to the living room where Hannah was playing. Michaela placed Katie on the floor next to her. Katie was a few months younger than Hannah so she wasn't quite to the crawling stage but was beginning to hold herself up.

"I am curious about your phone calls," he stated, "Please don't keep me in suspense any longer."

"Daniel and William both called me," she stated, raising her eyebrows, "It is so strange."

"That is definitely interesting. What did they want?" he asked, growing concerned.

"They both wanted to see me and Daniel was interested in seeing Katie," she answered.

"I told William I wasn't interested in seeing him but I told Daniel to come over since he hasn't seen Katie yet. After all, he was David's best friend, so I don't feel I can deny him," she reasoned.

"Okay, I want to be there when he does come over. Something doesn't feel right about him." Sully cautioned.

"Sure," Michaela answered, "He will be here Saturday afternoon."

The rest of the week passed quickly. Saturday arrived with thunderstorms and rain throughout the day. Since she was expecting Daniel later that day, Sully decided to spend the day at Michaela's house.

Michaela was upstairs in her room straightening up when Sully appeared at her door.

"I just put the girls down for their morning nap," he stated.

"They should sleep a couple of hours," she mentioned, while stretching across the bed to fluff the pillows.

"Yes, they should," he replied, while padding across the floor to grab her by the waist.

"Sully!" she cried. "What are you doing?"

He had an amorous glint in his eye that she found irresistible. She feigned disinterest while playfully pushing him away. This only made him pull her closer.

"I need some holdin'", he answered and pulled her down on the bed.

He lowered his lips to hers and softly kissed her. He rolled over so that she was under him. He tentatively let his hands boldly roam intimate areas of her body to gauge her reaction to his touch. When she did not stop him, he felt empowered to continue. He trailed tender kisses along her jaw line to her ear lobe. When he reached her ear lobe, she shivered in delight.

"Sully," she whispered, barely audible.

"Hmm?" he answered as he continued to ply her with kisses.

"Did you hear the girls make a sound?"

"No, you are imagining things," he stated, continuing to let his hands roam.

Michaela felt her mind drift into bliss as Sully continued his expert touching on her body. She knew that they could not finish what they were starting right now. She fought with herself on just how far to let him continue to drive her mad with desire.

She felt Sully whisper in her ear and his teeth lightly graze her ear lobe. She knew she had to stop him know or it would be too late for her and him.

"Sully, we have to stop. I don't think we should go any farther right now," she stated.

He continued with his last kiss and acquiesced. "Okay, our day is coming soon" he replied, letting his hand slowly drift from her body while looking her in the eyes, smiling. "You drive me wild!"

They both reluctantly rose from the bed and went to look in on the girls. They were still sleeping peacefully. Silently, they went downstairs to the living room.

Michaela was still trying to shake the amorous feelings she was having. She wanted to change the mood between them.

"Sully, what do you think Daniel could be up to?" she asked.

"I am not sure," he answered, "I will have to watch him when he is here."

"Okay, I can't imagine that he would have anything sinister in mind, after all, he was David's best friend," she reasoned.

"His intentions may have started out good but I feel like something has changed," he stated.

Michaela knew that Sully's instincts were very good about things of this nature. She was a little nervous now as to what it could be. She searched back in her memories for anything that could foreshadow a warning but was coming up with nothing.

Daniel arrived right on time. He knocked at the door but no one came. He listened for a minute but no sounds came from the house. Then he heard laughter coming from the back yard. He decided to follow the sounds and saw Michaela and Sully with two babies, one of which must be Katie.

"Hello," he stated, announcing his arrival, "I knocked on the door but there wasn't an answer."

"Oh, hello, Daniel, I'm sorry, we decided to bring the girls outside since the storms had passed" she answered.

Sully carefully watched Daniel, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He was sure that Daniel was aware of him even though he didn't acknowledge his presence.

"This must be Katie," Daniel mentioned, gesturing toward the dark haired little girl.

"Yes, this is she," Michaela confirmed, picking Katie up and handing her to Daniel.

"She certainly does look like David," he mentioned, taking her from Michaela.

"Yes, she does," she answered, looking at Sully.

Sully was silently observing him with Katie, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He couldn't put his finger on it but he was sure something was wrong. He would need to speak with Cloud Dancing about his intuition.

Daniel was hoping to get to speak with Michaela privately but he sensed that Sully wasn't going to leave her alone.

"Why don't we all go inside and I will get us something cool to drink," Michaela stated.

Daniel carried Katie in the house with Sully following behind him, holding Hannah. Sully reasoned that in order to determine Daniel's motives, he would have to leave them alone.

"Michaela, I am going to go over and take Wolf out, I will be back in a few." He gave her a hug and left through the front door. He didn't go over to his house. He ran around back and quietly slipped in the back door to listen to their conversation. He had to protect her.

Daniel was elated at this sudden change of events. "Michaela, I am glad that we have this time alone." He began. "I have some things that I wanted to talk with you about."

"What is it?" she asked worriedly, taking Katie from him.

"Well, I don't know how to tell you this…" he began, nervously wringing his hands. "Michaela, I have known you since you were dating David. I must confess that I have always been in love with you." He finished, staring at the floor.

Michaela was taken aback by Daniel's words. She had suspected that he may have had an interest in her at one time but never _love.  
_

Sully could feel the anger building up inside of him at Daniel's admission. How dare he come to her home and say these things to her! He had to remember that he wasn't supposed to be in the house listening to them so he had to remain quiet.

"Daniel, I must tell you that I am flattered but David was the only one I loved back then and now Sully is the only oneI love now," she responded.

"I always thought you were interested in me too. We have known each other for many years. If you just give me a chance, I know that we would be great together," he stated.

Sully was gripping the back of the chair, trying to keep from barging in on them. But he knew he was going to have to put a stop to this as Daniel didn't appear to be taking no for an answer.

"Daniel!" Sully yelled.

Both Michaela and Daniel jumped at hearing his voice. "Sully! I thought you were at your house!" Michaela asked.

"Michaela, I am sorry for the deception but no, I didn't feel right leaving you here alone so I came in the back door to make sure everything was okay," he admitted.

"Just who do you think you are?" Daniel asked, his hands on his hips.

"I'd like to ask the same of you," Sully replied. "You have some nerve coming here and talking to Michaela the way you are right now."

Daniel rose from the sofa and walked toward Sully. "Michaela and I have a history together, that is something that you don't have with her!"

"History doesn't matter if only one of you agree that you had one! What more does Michaela have to say for you to understand that she isn't interested in you?" Sully demanded.

"Sully, Daniel!" Michaela yelled. "I want you two to stop this fighting, you are scaring Katie."

Sully looked at Michaela as she spoke and at the same time, Daniel's fist landed on Sully's jaw. Michaela ran into the other room with Katie as soon as she saw the punch register on Sully's face.

Sully grabbed Daniel by his hands and swung his arms around his back. He walked him to the front door and toward his car.

"I wasn't about to disrespect Michaela by hitting you in her house, but if I ever see you again, I will make sure you never forget me," Sully said and walked away.

Daniel said something that Sully couldn't quite understand but he wasn't interested in hearing anything he had to say.


	12. Chapter 12

Michaela was still in the kitchen when Sully came back in the house. Sully stopped in the door way to see her standing at the sink soothing Katie. He didn't like the fact that Daniel had caused a scene which upset them. He felt he handled it in the most appropriate manner.

He cleared his throat to announce that he was in the room. Michaela spun around with tears in her eyes.

"Oh Sully, I am so thankful you were in the house, listening to us!"

"Think nothing of it," he replied, walking toward her and placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Would you like to get away from here for the day? Hannah and I are going to visit Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird out at their ranch tomorrow. I haven't been out to visit them in a while and thought that you and Katie might like to come with us."

Michaela's eyes lit up. She liked the Indian couple very much. They were very friendly to her and made her feel like she had known them forever.

"Yes, I would love to come along," she answered.

"Great, then it's settled, we were going to leave in the morning," Sully stated.

The drive out to Cloud Dancing's ranch was soothing to Michaela's nerves. They saw a family of deer playing out in the field. Hannah squealed with delight at the animals. Katie wasn't quite sure what to make of them yet.

Sully pulled the SUV up to a magnificent A-frame log cabin lodge nestled among several tall pine trees. Snow Bird heard them approach and met them on the expansive front porch.

"Hello, Sully, Michaela," she stated. "I trust you had a nice drive."

"Hi, Snow Bird, yes we sure did," Sully stated, hugging her.

"Hello, Snow Bird," Michaela greeted. "Your place is amazing."

"Thank you," she answered, "Once you have had a chance to freshen up, I can show you around. Cloud Dancing should be around here somewhere." She mentioned, looking around their front yard.

Snow Bird showed them into the large, two story living room. There was a massive stone fireplace in the corner, Native American prints hung over the mantle. There were floor to ceiling windows along the back of the house that showed the beautiful scenery of the acreage behind the house.

Michaela walked to the windows to get a closer look at their view. There was a deck immediately off the back of the house with a swimming pool.

"The bathrooms are to your left," Snowbird pointed toward the hallway to the left of the living room.

"Thank you," Sully stated.

They made their way to the bathroom to freshen up and put the girls down for a nap.

"I am going to find Cloud Dancing," Sully mentioned, after the girls were asleep.

"Okay, I am going to visit with Snow Bird for a while. I will join you later." Michaela replied, kissing him softly.

Sully saw Cloud Dancing leaning over the fence to the horse corral. He was watching his horse, Flash, trot around the ring.

"Cloud Dancing! It's good to see you," Sully announced, stopping at the fence next to him.

"It is good to see you too, Brother," he replied. "What is troubling you?"

"How did you know something was wrong?" Sully asked.

"The spirits told me," he answered.

"I have an issue with Daniel. He was Michaela's friend from Boston," he began. "He came by the other day to see her and Katie. He started talking about how Daniel has loved her since he's known her. We got into a bit of a confrontation."

"The spirits told me that there are two people who are coming between you and Michaela," Cloud Dancing mentioned.

"I believe the other person may be William," Sully reasoned.

"The spirits told me that they will come between you at a time that is very important to you and Michaela," Cloud Dancing warned.

"My intuition was right then. I have had a bad feeling about William and Daniel both from the beginning." Sully stated.

"My brother, the spirits will be there with you at that time. You will do what is right," Cloud Dancing encouraged.

"Thank you, I don't know what I would do without you," Sully mentioned. "I wonder what Snow Bird and Michaela are doing?"

"Let's go find them," Cloud Dancing replied. "Flash will be okay out here in her pin."

Michaela and Snow Bird were on the deck with Hannah and Katie. The girls were excitedly making babbling sounds. This scene warmed Sully's heart. He tried to put away the forewarning that Cloud Dancing gave him and enjoy the day. He would speak with Michaela about it when they arrived home.

Hannah squealed with delight at seeing Sully. She tried to wriggle her way free from Snow Bird. She was trying to walk but could only manage a quick toddle right now.

"There's one of my sweet girls!" he cried, picking Hannah up.

"Have you picked a date for your wedding yet?" Snow Bird asked.

Michaela and Sully looked at each other. They hadn't really discussed their wedding yet.

"We haven't given it much thought," Michaela answered. "I would like something small though."

"I agree," Sully answered, patting Hannah on the back.

"I think I would like something outdoors with just a few friends and family," Michaela said, dreamily.

"Cloud Dancing and I would be honored if you want to have your wedding here," Snow Bird offered.

"Thank you!" They both said in unison.

"I will get with you as soon as we have the details worked out." Sully stated.

"Would anyone like something cool to drink?" Snow Bird offered.

"Yes, please," Michaela answered. "I will help you."

"You have a very gracious and loving young man, Michaela," Snow Bird stated once they were in the kitchen.

"Thank you, he is very special and has helped me a great deal."

"He is very perceptive and is a sensitive soul. I can see that he loves you with everything that he is."

Michaela thought that Snow Bird really understood Sully. Her perception was very accurate.

"Yes, Katie and I are very lucky to have found him."

Snow Bird smiled and put the glasses and pitcher of lemonade on the tray. They spent the rest of their visit walking their ranch and Cloud Dancing pointing out the animals to the girls. Sully and Michaela bid farewell at sunset.

"Thank you for everything," Sully stated, shaking Cloud Dancing's hand. Michaela hugged Snow Bird and they set off for home.

Michaela awoke the next morning to the sound of rain hitting her bedroom windows. The day was starting out gray and dark. She didn't let this spoil her good mood. She still had lovely visions of Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird's ranch. She thought that it would be amazing to live in such peace and solitude.

She drew the blankets back and reached for her robe. She padded down the hallway to Katie's room. She was still sleeping peacefully.

Michaela quietly made her way down the stairs and out to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. She sat down at the table with a pad of paper to begin jotting down ideas for their wedding. She knew that she wanted a simple affair.

She began thinking back to her wedding with David and how elaborate it had been. While she had loved David and their life together, she never liked the high society feel of Boston. Colorado was a much different lifestyle, more relaxed. She truly felt at peace here.

As she was finishing up her very short list of wedding plans, she heard Katie beginning to stir.

"Good morning, sweet girl!" she greeted. Katie was growing so fast. She was pulling herself up on the crib rails, trying to stand up.

She picked her up and took her downstairs for breakfast. She put Katie in her high chair and began preparing her baby cereal. She stood at the kitchen window, watching the rain hit the window. She briefly wondered if Sully had any plans today.

Michaela was lost in a day dream as she was brought out of her reverie by Katie hitting the tray on her high chair, demanding breakfast.

"Oh, sweetie, Mommy's sorry," she apologized.

Katie quickly ate and then squirmed to get on the floor to play. Michaela placed her on her favorite blanket. She went to the kitchen to clean up and heard her phone ring. She dug it out of her handbag, briefly hoping it wasn't Daniel or William.

It was Sully! She breathed a sigh of relief. "Good morning!" she answered.

"Good morning, what do you think of this rainy day?"

"I don't mind the rain, I find it cleansing," Michaela answered.

"Do you and Katie have anything to do today?" he asked.

"No, I think we are going to stay home today. Why do you ask?"

"Would you like to watch some movies? I thought that maybe we could go over some wedding details." he mentioned.

"Yes, I would love that," she answered.


	13. Chapter 13

"Sully, I really like the idea of having our wedding at Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird's ranch." Michaela began. "The views there are amazing."

"I agree, I've always thought the outdoors were the best place for a wedding," Sully replied.

"Are there any special things you want for our wedding day?" she asked.

"Just you, the girls and a preacher are all I need," He stated, leaning forward to give her a light kiss on the cheek.

Michaela blushed at his kiss. She couldn't wait until their wedding night.

"When should we have the wedding?" she asked, hoping her heart would stop racing after his kiss.

"What about Saturday, the 20th of this month?" Sully offered.

"Sully!" Michaela replied, shocked. "That's too soon, I can't possibly get everything planned by then."

"What is there to plan? We are having the wedding outside and we know the date." He replied.

"There's the cake, the flowers, our guests, our honeymoon and…" she began.

"Michaela," Sully began, pulling her into an embrace. "We don't need to have a big production, you know I don't like a fuss."

"Sully, I know that but my family will be here and they are used to the finer things. My wedding to David was a lavish ceremony."

"But you aren't marrying David, you know I am a simple man, I don't need to project something I'm not." He said, getting a little exasperated with Michaela on the subject.

Michaela could sense Sully growing tired of the wedding planning. It really was unfair of her to expect a wedding that wasn't his style. After all, the wedding day was for both of them. "Okay, Sully, I can appreciate your view of things. Why don't we put these plans away for now?"

"I think that would be a good idea," he answered.

"Have you thought about whose house we are going to live in after the wedding?" Michaela asked.

"I've actually been thinking a lot about that since I proposed." He began, smiling. "Cloud Dancing mentioned to me that he has several hundred acres on his land and would like for you and I to take over some of it."

"Sully, I would be honored to live there." She replied.

"I thought you would like it, so the last time I spoke with him, I told him we would buy some of his land."

"Sully, I can't think of a better place to raise the girls."

"And any more that may come along," Sully added, smiling shyly.

That was the first time she had heard Sully talk about adding more children to their family. She felt her heart skip a beat at his words. Her life was finally coming together so nicely.

"Yes, I would love to have more children," she replied, smiling.

"I have often wondered what our children would look like," Sully mentioned.

Michaela blushed at his admission. She had as well but didn't want to seem too forward to him.

Just then, they heard the girls on the baby monitor. "I think some little girls are awake now," Sully stated.

"Yes, I think you are right," Michaela answered.

They went into Hannah's room to find Hannah trying to climb out of the crib and Katie standing up holding the crib bars.

"Katie, you are standing up!" Michaela squealed, bending over to pick her up.

"We are going to have our hands full!" Sully mentioned, picking Hannah up.

Michaela glanced at him and smiled as she walked out of the room.

Later that night, Michaela was sitting at her kitchen table, thinking of how she could incorporate some of her plans to blend with Sully's. She knew that their wedding would be a lot different than her one with David. But she also knew that her mother expected nothing less than the best. She wasn't looking forward to her mother coming to visit. She could be very head strong and a force to reckon with when she had something set in her mind. She decided that she wasn't going to let her mother dictate her plans with this wedding or marriage like she did previously.

She grabbed her phone from the counter and decided to call Rebecca since Katie was already asleep for the night.

"Hello, Rebecca!" Michaela stated as soon as she heard her sister come on the line.

"Michaela! I've missed you," Rebecca replied.

"Sully and I have scheduled our wedding date. It's for the 20th of this month." Michaela stated.

"Michaela! That is awfully close. How are you going to get everything planned?"

"Sully and I are going to keep things simple. This will be the second wedding for both of us. We decided that we want to reflect on the day and its' meaning rather than all of the fanfare and expense," she replied.

"You know Mother isn't going to appreciate your sentiments," Rebecca cautioned.

"Yes, I have thought about her reaction. This is Colorado not Boston. I want something completely different than the ceremony that I had with David," Michaela reasoned.

"Mother is quite opinionated when it comes to ceremonies and parties. She will try to put her own touch on it," Rebecca mentioned.

"I am going to call her later this week and let her know our plans. I hope she will understand and respect our wishes," Michaela stated, fighting back the feelings of dread that were creeping up.

"I wish you all the best in talking with her, I know how the two of you don't see eye to eye sometimes," Rebecca began. "Do you need me to help with anything?"

"Yes, you can talk to Mother for me!" Michaela laughed.

"Oh, I think this is a battle you will have to wage on your own," Rebecca answered.

"Thank you for your help, Rebecca!" she chuckled and hung up the phone.

Michaela put her phone on the counter and reflected on their conversation. She would have to face Mother eventually but for now, she would do some more research on the best places for flowers and cake as this was more fun.

The following night, Michaela and Sully were relaxing on the sofa, discussing the wedding plans. The girls had just laid down for a nap.

"Sully, since the wedding is in two weeks, I have a few last minute things to take care of. I also need to call my mother."

"You haven't called her yet?" Sully asked.

"No, actually, I've been putting it off," she replied.

"Why?"

"Mother can be difficult," she replied.

"I can't imagine she is that bad. She's your mother," he reasoned.

"Sully, she is quite accustomed to getting her own way and she firmly believes she knows what is best for me," Michaela answered.

Sully pulled her closer to him on the sofa and put his arm around her. He hugged her lightly and reassured her. "Michaela, if you need me for support when you call her let me know."

"Thanks, Sully," she replied, resting her hand on his arm.

She was going to have to work up the courage to call her mother soon or it would be too late.

The week passed by in a frenzy of last minute details, dress fitting appointments and cake taste testing. As Michaela was leaving the Soda Springs Bakery, she heard her phone ring deep within her hand bag. She stopped at the bench just outside the bakery and put her shopping bags down to grab her phone.

"Michaela? When were you planning on calling me?" a loud voice demanded.

"Mother?" she asked, picking up her bags and walking to the car.

"Yes, are you telling me you don't recognize your own mother's voice?"

"Oh, Mother, really," Michaela blew out a breath.

"It's hard to hear out here at the store," she replied.

"Well, for Heaven's sakes, you could go back inside, dear," her mother chastised.

"Mother!" Michaela began.

"Well, just when were you planning on telling me about your wedding?"

"I was going to call you as soon as I had some free time, Mother," she replied.

"I feel like you've been putting me off," she stated.

"Well, actually, I have a little. You aren't the easiest person to discuss things with," Michaela offered.

"Why do you say that?" her mother asked, shocked.

"Mother, you have always insisted that I do things according to your standards. Do you recall my wedding to David and how lavish it was?"

"Why yes I do. I thought it was a very nice affair," she said, sounding proud.

"Yes, it was nice, but it was far too expensive and grand. It just wasn't me," Michaela offered.

"I suppose you do not want anything fancy this time?"

"As a matter of fact, we have already planned everything out. We are going to have the ceremony at his friend's ranch just outside of town," Michaela stated.

"Michaela, you aren't getting married in a church?"

"No, we aren't, Mother. The ranch is very beautiful, surrounded by lush forest and mountains. It is a very peaceful setting. We are going to have it outside among nature," She stated, proudly.

"I can hardly believe what I am hearing, Michaela. The Quinn's do not have weddings outside."

"Mother, this is our day and we choose to have it the way we have planned it," she shot back.

Michaela could feel her anger build. Her mother knew the exact buttons to push with her. Her day had been filled with happy thoughts of planning her future, of finally getting her life settled after moving from Boston. But she felt drawn right back there after hearing the words her mother was telling her. She always felt her Mother tried to keep her under her wing.

"Michaela, please let me help you with some of the preparations," her mother begged.

"Sully and I already have everything planned and all of the preparations are finished," Michaela answered.

She heard her mother let out an audible sigh. She knew she was getting frustrated and was probably going to do what she wanted to anyway. Michaela knew their conversation wasn't going to solve anything so she ended their call.

Michaela used the drive home to decompress from the call with her mother. She was upset at herself for always letting her words and attitude get to her.

Sully was in her kitchen when she walked through the door. The girls were playing on the floor with a few toys. She sat her bags down just inside the door. Hannah toddled over to her with Katie crawling just behind her.

"Mom mom mom," Hannah babbled.

Michaela looked up, stunned, as Sully walked in the living room, wiping his hands on a towel.

"Sully, is this her first word?" Michaela asked.

"Yes, it is!" Sully replied, picking her up. "You just said your first word, sweet girl!"

"I'm sorry that Abigail wasn't able to hear her," Michaela stated, picking Katie up.

"Yes, me too," he replied, briefly recalling that fateful day he lost her.

Michaela showed him the wedding preparations she had picked up, hoping to focus his thoughts on something more positive.

"Sully, Mother called me while I was at the bakery this afternoon," she mentioned as he was looking through her shopping bags.

"Oh, how did it go?"

"Let's just say we are at an impasse," she replied, and leaned up to hug him.

He could see the frustration in her face. He embraced her and lightly kissed her on the lips. He couldn't wait until their wedding which was just a few short days away.

Just then, Sully's phone rang. He swiped the screen and saw that it was Cloud Dancing calling. He thought that was odd seeing as he preferred to visit rather than talk on the phone.

"Hello, Cloud Dancing, is something wrong?" he began. After listening for a few minutes, he stated, "I will be right there."

"What is wrong?" Michaela asked, searching his face for an answer.

"It's nothing," he answered. He put his phone back in his pocket. "I need to go out to Cloud Dancing's ranch for a little while. I will be back later. Can you watch Hannah for me?" He asked.

"Sure, be careful," she replied, worried about his sudden change in temperament.


	14. Chapter 14

Sully regretted the way that he had to leave Michaela after taking Cloud Dancing's call. All that he could think about was the concern he heard in his voice. He had mentioned that he saw what looked like some people lurking around his ranch. Sully pressed harder on the gas pedal, willing the SUV to move faster and faster. Why would there be people trespassing on his land? Who would try to harm Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird? The questions swirled in his mind as he drove down the narrow, country road that ended at his ranch.

As he drove onto the property, Sully noted that nothing appeared to be out of place. There were some wedding decorations, tables and chairs already in place out in the pasture a few hundred yards from the house. Cloud Dancing greeted him at his SUV.

"Sully, thank you for driving out here on such short notice," Cloud Dancing stated.

Sully noticed that it was out of character for him to be anxious or stressed. "What happened out here?"

"I have been seeing what I think are a couple of people lurking around the ranch. I am not able to determine who it is. They stay several steps ahead of me." He answered.

"Do you have an idea of who it may be?"

"No, I am not sure how they found the ranch since we are pretty secluded."

"Have you noticed anything missing or moved around?"

"I noticed the barn doors were open earlier today but nothing looked to be out of place."

"I want to go take another look inside there."

As they walked toward the pole barn, Sully scanned the ground for anything that would yield any clues. Cloud Dancing used the barn to store hay and horse tack. He noticed foot prints that appeared to stop at the first bale of hay off to the right. He looked behind the bale and found a set of car keys.

"Have you seen these keys before?" Sully asked, handing them to Cloud Dancing.

"No, I haven't, these don't belong to any of my equipment. They look like keys to a car."

"That is what I am thinking too," Sully responded.

"I think there may be a car somewhere close to here. But I didn't see a car on my way in," Sully offered.

"I believe we should wait to see if they come back here looking for the keys," Cloud Dancing stated.

"I think you may be right," Sully agreed.

"Let's go back to the house and get a cool drink."

They positioned the deck chairs so they could see the barn from a safe distance without being seen. The sun would be setting in a few minutes. They had no sooner settled into their chairs that Sully noticed movement in the tree line to the left side of the barn.

"Cloud Dancing, look over there!"

"I see it too. I wonder who it could be?"

They sat very still, hoping that who or whatever was over there would not see them. The sun was starting to move behind Pikes Peak, casting dark shadows around the ranch. Sully had to strain to see the two figures moving quickly from the tree line toward the direction to the barn.

"I see them," Sully whispered. "Let's go around the other side of the house to the opposite side of the barn. Hurry!"

Cloud Dancing and Sully jumped down from the deck and ran around the opposite side of the house toward the barn. The intruders did not see them. There was a small access door on the right side of the barn. It was painted so that it blended in perfectly with the rest of the wall. They slid in the door quickly and stood in the dark shadows.

They took their places just in time for the barn door to open. Sully could feel his heart pounding through his chest. Cloud Dancing touched his arm in silent communication to get ready to act. Sully flipped the light on in hopes of distracting the intruders.

As their eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness of the overhead lights, Sully could determine there were two males in the barn. He looked at Cloud Dancing and they both nodded their heads in agreement. They both leaped from the hay bale onto the two men.

Sully jumped on the back of one of the men and wrestled him to the ground. The man quickly rolled away from him and stood, with his hands balled into fists. Sully ducked to the right as the man's fist just barely missed his head. Sully had no choice but to throw a punch. It landed on the man's jaw but he shook it off and threw another punch, this time it connected with Sully's jaw.

Sully hit the ground hard. It knocked the air out of him. Cloud Dancing came running over to him to help him up. At that time, the intruder that Cloud Dancing had, took the opportunity to run out of the barn. The man that Sully was fighting with followed after him. Sully's jaw hurt terribly but he still managed to chase after them.

They ran across the yard in the intruder's direction and caught up with them just before they reached the tree line. Cloud Dancing was able to catch both men by their shirt and Sully followed up by knocking them to the ground.

Once the dust had settled, they were able to get a good look at who they were.

"Daniel? William?" Sully asked, shocked.

Both men sat up, wiping dust from their clothes. They were both dressed in their business attire.

"What is going on?" Cloud Dancing asked.

Both men looked at each other. They hadn't planned on getting caught so hadn't thought of an excuse.

"We heard you and Michaela were getting married in a couple of days so we wanted to come out here to see if we could help with anything," Daniel lied.

Sully was instantly suspicious of Daniel and William. He thought back to the time he met Daniel and the way he was treated by him. Both of them had given Michaela a hard time on different occasions. He didn't trust either of them.

"I don't believe either of you. Why would your car keys be in the barn and why didn't I see your car when I pulled up to the ranch?" Sully demanded.

"I don't like your tone of voice, Sully," Daniel replied.

"You are going to get more than my tone of voice if you don't come clean and tell us why you are trespassing." Sully stated.

"Okay, okay, don't get riled," William began. "We heard that your wedding was in a couple of days. We were going to prevent it from occurring."

"Why?" Sully asked.

"David was my best friend. I always had a crush on Michaela. And when David passed away, I thought I had a chance with her. I was in the middle of gaining her confidence when she moved out to Colorado Springs." Daniel replied.

"It sounds to me that you were on the losing end of that, Daniel, if she moved out here," Sully mentioned.

"What about you?" Cloud Dancing asked William as he crossed his arms and stared at hm.

"Daniel and I met at my hospital in Denver when he was on a job," William began. We discovered that we both knew her. I was still holding a grudge against Michaela from her leaving me to date David. I never got over that pain."

"We both had hurt feelings over our relationships with Michaela. We felt like we had to do something to prevent her happiness like she had done to us," Daniel admitted.

Sully couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could two people dislike his Michaela to the point of wanting to sabotage what should be the happiest day of her life. Off in the distance, he heard police sirens. While Sully was talking to them, Cloud Dancing had called the police in.

The police took William and Daniel to the police station for questioning. Sully felt secure in knowing that their wedding day would be perfect now. His hand started to throb and swell now that his adrenaline levels were dropping. He had made his mind up that he wasn't going to tell Michaela about this day.

"Thanks, Sully, for coming out to help me out. Who would have thought we'd see those two out here."

"I know, at least it's out in the open now and they won't be bothering us again. I will see you soon."

Sully turned his SUV around and drove back down the country road. The day's events were circling in his mind. He was thankful that Daniel and William had been discovered today and not on their wedding day.

Sully was pulling in Michaela's driveway and saw Rebecca and another woman getting out of a car. It was completely dark outside at this point. He decided that he would introduce himself, get Hannah then head home.

"Hello, Sully," Rebecca greeted.

"Hi, how are you both doing?" Sully answered.

"We are fine, I'd like you to meet our mother, Elizabeth Quinn."

"Hello, nice to meet you," he stated, extending out his hand.

"Hello, Sully, "Elizabeth replied, eyeing him. "It appears that you have had a tough day."

"I'm sorry?" he asked, not sure what she meant. Then it dawned on him, he was dusty and dirty from his tumble with Daniel and William. "Oh, my apologies, I had some things to take care of earlier today."

"I see," Elizabeth replied.

Rebecca could feel her mother's indignation building toward Sully. "Why don't we go inside so you can meet Katie?"

Sully could see that there were a lot of boxes in the car. "I will bring in the boxes," he offered.

"Thank you, Sully," Rebecca stated.

He could hear the excitement inside as he walked toward the house with the boxes. He put the boxes on the floor inside the front door. He looked up to see Hannah toddling toward him.

"Hi, sweet girl!" he cried, crouching down so she could walk toward him. Hannah babbled and her eyes lit up. He scooped her up in his arms as Michaela, Rebecca and Elizabeth watched him.

Michaela's heart swelled with love as she watched him with Hannah. She noted that her mother appeared to be impressed with the sight as well. This took some of the stress off her shoulders. She was mentally preparing for a tough couple of days with her.

Michaela noticed the boxes that Sully had brought in. "Mother, what is in all of these boxes?"

"Oh, I brought some things for the wedding," she answered.

"I told you that Sully and I have all of the decorations taken care of."

"Yes, you did mention that but I found these in the attic at home and thought that these would be a perfect addition," Elizabeth replied, opening the boxes.

The decorations looked very familiar to Michaela. "Mother, I think I've seen these before."

"Why of course you have. These are from your wedding with David."

Michaela looked at Sully nervously, hoping that he wouldn't get the wrong impression. "Mother! Why would you bring those things here? We are not going to use them in our wedding."

"Michaela, they really are pretty. If you want to use them, it's okay with me,' Sully mentioned.

"Thank you, Sully, but these are from another place and time. I don't think it's appropriate." Michaela stated.

"Okay, it's getting late, I should take Hannah home. I will see you tomorrow," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

The ladies continued talking about wedding preparations late into the night. Michaela was proud of herself for sticking to her and Sully's original wedding plans. She wanted this day to be very special for all four of them.

Michaela awoke to hear laughter coming from downstairs. She pulled her robe on and pulled her hair into a pony tail. As she descended the stairs, she found her mother and Katie snuggled on the couch, reading a book. She loved watching her mother bond with Katie. Elizabeth was always aloof and harsh with her growing up.

"Good morning, Mother," she stated.

"Good morning," Elizabeth replied.

"I see that you are Katie are getting along well."

"Oh yes, I am absolutely enthralled by her. I am glad that my health improved so that I was able to come out here just in time for your wedding."

"About the wedding, Mother," Michaela began, sitting down on the sofa next to Elizabeth. "I appreciate the great care you took in bringing some things from home from my wedding to David but Sully and I have already taken care of the things we want in our wedding."

"Michaela, the women in the Quinn family have always had a certain flare in their weddings. Yours should not be any different."

"Mother, Sully and I want to keep the ceremony simple and for it represent both of us not just my side. I wish you would honor our wishes."

"Honestly, Michaela, begging does not become you."

Michaela could feel her anger rising inside. Her heart was starting to race and she could feel her neck and back muscles start to tighten. She decided that she wasn't going to allow her mother's remarks to upset her.

"Mother, I don't appreciate the way you are talking to me."

Rebecca was coming down the stairs and heard Michaela talking. "Good morning, what's going on?"

"Rebecca, your sister will not listen to reason."

"Mother, it is her wedding, you should not expect her to want the same things as you," Rebecca replied.

Michaela instantly relaxed. Rebecca was always the voice of reason with their mother. She could see a change come over her mother's face.

"Thank you, Rebecca," Michaela offered.

"Michaela, if it is your wish to have a heathen wedding, then so be it," Elizabeth mentioned.

Michaela knew this was going to be the best apology she was going to get from her mother. So she accepted it and knew this subject was now closed.

"Michaela, if it's okay with you, I would like to take Mother and Katie out for a little shopping today," Rebecca asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Sure, and as a matter of fact, Sully and I have some last minute things to see to at Cloud Dancing's ranch."


	15. Chapter 15

Michaela loved the early morning sunlight at Cloud Dancing's ranch. She got out of the SUV and stood in awe of the majestic mountains, the fresh smell of pine in the air. She put her hands on her hips and turned around in a circle, taking in the sights.

Sully started to walk toward the house but realized she wasn't next to him. He stopped and turned around. He smiled softly, watching a peaceful expression cross her face. He walked up behind her and put his arms around her, pulling her close. She leaned into him as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Sully, I have never been so happy! This place is very relaxing."

"I am glad you like it. Follow me, I want to show you something," he replied, releasing her and taking her hand in his.

They walked hand in hand down the small country road, past Cloud Dancing's house about a mile. The road was lined with tall pine trees that created a sense of privacy. As they came to the clearing, Sully walked in front of Michaela, stopping her.

"Close your eyes," he stated, putting his hand over her eyes and guiding her with the other hand.

"Sully! What are you doing?" she squealed.

"You will see in a minute. Follow my lead."

They turned right off the road into a large pasture. Sully was beaming from ear to ear when he removed his hand from her eyes.

"Okay, you can look now!"

She opened her eyes, trying to focus on where she was. Before her, she saw that they were on top of a large hill with a wide, expansive one hundred and eighty degree view of the valley below them.

"Sully, where are we?"

He put his arms around her and drew her close to him. He extended his right arm out in front of them. "Do you see those stakes over there?"

"Yes."

"That is the beginning of our new house."

"Oh, Sully! This is the perfect place," she threw her arms around him and kissed him.

"I'm glad you like it. Come take a look over here." He replied, walking closer to the building site. "Do you see that little cabin over there between the trees?"

Michaela strained to see the little cabin. "Yes, I do."

"I thought we could have our honeymoon there." Sully stated proudly.

"What?! You can't be serious."

"It only looks primitive on the outside but has all of the amenities to make us comfortable."

"I don't know about that," she mentioned, suddenly feeling nervous about their wedding night.

"Why don't you trust me on this one?"

"I do trust you but it's rather unconventional don't you think?"

"I happen to think it would be very romantic," he stated and kissed the tip of her nose.

"I suppose you are right, Sully. I will trust your judgement."

"Good, now let's head back to the ranch to make sure everything is in its proper place."

On their walk back to Cloud Dancing's house, Michaela was lost in thought. Sully put so much thought and care into pleasing her. For the first time, she felt that she was truly loved and cared for.

Sully periodically stole glances at her as they strolled back down the road. He noticed the small smile appear on her face. It warmed his heart that she was happy. He couldn't wait to be married to her.

All of the wedding preparations were in place for tomorrow. The rows of chairs were arranged in neat rows. The altar was draped in roses. The wedding party table had elegant tablecloths, three silver candle holders and star gazer lilies as the center piece. Sully watched as Michaela fussed with the decorations. She heard him chuckle under his breath. She looked up, somewhat irritated that he didn't look as nervous as she felt.

"What are you laughing at?" she demanded.

"I'm laughing at you!" he said, folding his arms across his chest. 'Why are you fretting so much?"

"I want everything to be perfect."

"Everything will be perfect as long as me, you and the girls are together." He walked toward her and drew her into his arms to calm her.

"I love you so much, Sully."

"I love you too."

Michaela awoke the next morning with butterflies in her stomach. She had been looking forward to this day for a long time. She couldn't wait to share every day with Sully and Hannah. She threw the blankets back and padded down the hallway to Katie's room.

Katie was already awake and standing up holding the crib rails, dancing and babbling. She felt the electricity in the air.

"Good morning, sweet girl," she greeted, picking her daughter up and snuggling her close.

Katie had recently started to walk. Hannah was ahead of her by a few months so she was learning a lot from her.

Michaela took Katie downstairs for breakfast. Elizabeth and Rebecca were already in the kitchen drinking coffee.

"Good morning," they greeted each other.

"Today is the big day, are you excited or nervous?" Elizabeth asked.

"I have to confess, I am a little of both."

"Well that is natural."

"Michaela," Rebecca began, putting her coffee cup down and walking toward her, taking her hands gently. "I am so happy for you and Katie today. You have grieved for so long."

"Yes, I agree with Rebecca," Elizabeth stated.

Michaela couldn't help but feel shocked at her mother's words. She had a tendency to be harsh and insensitive.

"Thank you, Mother."

"The ceremony is in a few hours, I should go upstairs and get ready," Michaela stated.

"I will get Katie ready for you."

"Thank you, Rebecca."

Michaela went back upstairs to her room to prepare for the day. She started to feel nervous as she sat down at her vanity. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Soon she would be Mrs. Sully. She liked the sound of that.

She decided to style her long brunette hair in soft waves that cascaded down her back. Her veil was attached to a white, narrow head band that was covered in tiny pearls. Her wedding gown was simple but elegant. She searched for a few weeks for the dress that fit her personality while being true to the occasion. Her dress was off the shoulder with a sweet heart neckline adorned in pearl accents.

She tried the gown on one last time. She stood before her vanity mirror, gazing at her reflection. Images of her wedding to David came to mind. She recalled how happy and nervous she was. Her mother had a lot of influence on her wedding then. She regretted not asserting her opinion more. She was young and not comfortable with her place in Boston society at the time and acquiesced to people who felt they knew better about how the ceremony should be conducted.

She stood up straight and smoothed down the front of the gown. She had grown a lot as a person in these last few months she had been in Colorado Springs. She was proud of herself for changing her life to suit her and no one else. She was excited to be sharing her life with Sully.

She carefully removed the gown and put it back on its satin hanger. She would be getting dressed at Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird's house. She hoped that she didn't see Sully there. Hopefully, Cloud Dancing would keep him busy.

Michaela changed into a button down shirt and shorts and began putting things for her honeymoon into her bag. She knew that she would not be returning home after the ceremony. Her heart sped up at the thought of spending the night with Sully. She had thought about what it would be like for several months now.

Once she finished filling her bag, she carried her gown and bag down the stairs. Her mother, Rebecca and Katie were in the floor playing.

"Michaela, you look sensational!" her mother offered.

"Thank you," she felt a little taken aback at her mother's gushing over her.

"Can we talk for a moment?" her mother asked, getting up from the floor.

Michaela glanced at Rebecca who didn't offer a hint as to what her mother was talking about.

"Sure."

"Let's go into the kitchen."

Michaela followed her and sat down at the table.

"Michaela," her mother began, placing her hand on Michaela's. "I want to apologize to you."

"For what?"

"I haven't been the most pleasant person in matters that concern you."

"Mother, I am shocked to hear this from you."

"I know you are, dear, and I am sorry that I have been, let's say, a little difficult over the years."

"Oh, Mother, I appreciate you telling me this. I have always felt that I never measured up to your demands."

Elizabeth stood up and hugged Michaela. "I am sorry that I was so hard on you. But to be honest, I thought you showed such promise and ability from an early age and thought that by my being tough on you, it would give you the fuel to succeed."

"Well, Mother, it did work. It gave me the drive to succeed in anything I set out to do."

"I am glad that something good came of it," Elizabeth smiled. "I want to tell you that I am so happy that you found someone like Sully to share Katie and your life with."

"Thank you, I am happy to be moving forward. I felt stuck for so long after losing David."

"I love you, Michaela."

"I love you too, Mother."

They both wiped tears away and went back into the living room. Rebecca greeted them with a smile on her face. She sensed some healing had taken place by the looks on their faces.

"Rebecca, I believe we should get ready. We have about an hour and a half before we need to leave." Elizabeth mentioned.

"Oh my! The time is going so fast today," Rebecca replied.

"Don't take too long up there!" Michaela called after them.

Rebecca had already dressed Katie in her purple sundress. Her outfit had pearl accents around the neckline to match Michaela's dress. She had white stockings on with black patent leather shoes. Her hair was coming in thick and dark. It was the same color as David's. Michaela had picked out a head band to match the one she was wearing.

Michaela felt the butterflies continuing to build as she paced the floor waiting for her mother and sister to finish. She placed hers and Katie's things next to the door. Cloud Dancing and Snow Bird would be keeping the girls while she and Sully were on their honeymoon. Elizabeth and Rebecca had to return home right after the ceremony.

In a short while, all of the ladies were ready and packed in the car for the drive to the ranch. The sun was high in the cloudless sky which provided for a beautiful back drop to the day's festivities.

As they approached the ranch, Michaela could see the pasture where the ceremony would take place. The flowers were in full bloom. Her favorite flower, Star Gazer lilies, looked perfect decorating the tables. The roses around the altar smelled sweet. These were the only flowers that she chose as she wanted to use the wild flowers that were already growing in the pasture. She knew that Sully loved the outdoors and wanted to preserve the natural beauty of the area.

Snow Bird greeted them at the pasture.

"Hello, Snow Bird!" Michaela stated, hugging her.

"Hi, friend."

"I'd like you to meet my mother, Elizabeth and my sister, Rebecca."

They exchanged greetings and she led them in the house, promising her that Cloud Dancing and Sully were not on the property, they were at the building site.

The ladies headed inside so that Michaela could freshen up. Her mother and Rebecca helped her put her gown on. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She felt like a princess today. Her mother placed the veil on her head and smoothed the fabric down.

Snow Bird quietly knocked on the door, holding Hannah. "There is someone who wants to see you."

Hannah extended her arms out toward Michaela. She wanted to take the little girl in her arms but couldn't at the moment.

"Sully and Cloud Dancing are back."

"That's good, I think Michaela is ready too," Elizabeth offered.

The ladies left the house to make the short walk to the pasture. Snow Bird held Hannah and Rebecca held Katie as they walked down the aisle. Michaela stole a glance toward Sully. He was handsome in his suit and long, wavy brown hair. He had his hands clasped in front of him with Cloud Dancing, who was officiating the ceremony, standing next to him.

Elizabeth and Michaela made their way toward the pasture to begin their walk down the aisle. Sully caught sight of Michaela as she walked closer to him. He had a wide smile on his face and tears started to sting his eyes. She looked beautiful and he couldn't have been happier than he was right now.

Michaela approached Sully at the altar. Her butterflies were starting to dissipate now that she was close to him. She glanced at Cloud Dancing who winked at her.

"Shall we get started?" Cloud Dancing announced.

Michaela and Sully stood facing one another, lost in the sight of each other. They completely forgot about everyone watching them. She looked deep into his eyes and as they took each other's hands, she felt that special spark of electricity move between them. They recited the vows they had written for each other and sealed them with a kiss. With this declaration, Cloud Dancing announced they were married.

Michaela and Sully spent the rest of the afternoon among their family and friends celebrating the most special day in their life. They were both relieved that the months of planning were over and they could enjoy a quiet peaceful family life. Sully sat back and watched Michaela with Hannah and Katie and felt honored that she would help him raise Hannah.

As the sun started to set behind the mountains, Sully gathered Michaela and announced it was time for them to change to head off to their honeymoon. He hoped that she liked the surprise he and Cloud Dancing had set up for her at the cabin.


	16. Chapter 16

Michaela and Sully went into the house to change out of their wedding attire. Upon entering the house, Sully grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.

"Sully!"

"What? There's no harm in us doing this now, we're married, Mrs. Sully."

"I know, but you surprised me."

"In a good way or bad way?"

"Good…." Sully interrupted her answer by trailing kisses along her neck up to her ear lobe.

He looked deep into her eyes and held her gaze before kissing her deeply. His eyes were full of lust and spoke volumes as to what he was thinking. Michaela felt giddy with anticipation and nervous as well. She could feel her blood heat and pulse quicken at his touch.

"We should get changed," Michaela managed to say before falling back under his spell.

He grumbled and slowly released her. "I suppose you are right."

He started to follow Michaela into the bedroom to change. "Sully! You have to change in the other room."

"What?" he asked

"You may distract me and we have to leave here soon, the sun is setting." She smiled at him.

Michaela walked into the living room dressed in a royal blue sundress and sandals and Sully was wearing jeans, a blue and white button down Oxford shirt and flip flops. She left her hair down but tied it back in a loose pony tail with a ribbon. Sully gasped at the sight of her. She was beautiful and was his wife now!

They gathered their bags and headed outside to bid everyone good bye. Hannah and Katie were staying at the ranch while they were on their honeymoon. Elizabeth and Rebecca were flying home in a few hours.

They climbed in Sully's SUV and made their way down the drive way and toward the little cabin on their new property. As they arrived at the cabin, the sun was setting behind the mountains across the valley. Michaela got out of the SUV and closed the door while gazing out at the view that would soon be theirs.

Sully walked over to her and threaded his arms around hers. He kissed her gently on the cheek. "It sure it beautiful isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. I am looking forward to when we move in. The mountains and valley are so majestic."

"And you are my beauty."

"Oh, Sully," Michaela blushed.

They walked hand in hand down toward the cabin. Michaela was nervous about tonight. It had been so long and she had only been with David.

As they approached the cabin, Michaela noticed that some of the wedding flowers had been neatly arranged on the cabin porch. At the end of the porch, a wooden swing was situated so that it faced the valley. Sully opened the door to the cabin and Michaela started to walk in.

"No, I have to carry you over the threshold," he stated and picked her up.

Michaela squealed with joy. Their gazes locked and they shared a tender kiss. Once inside, Sully set her down on the ground and turned on a light. The cabin interior was one large room but had all of the modern luxuries.

The light revealed Sully's surprise to her.

"Sully, what is this?" she asked, amazed at its beauty.

"It's a bed that I carved," he replied, proudly.

"It's exquisite," she said, taking in the sight of the four poster bed and running her hands over the ornate Indian feather carvings in the head board.

"I'm glad you like it!" he said, moving toward her.

"When did you have time to make this?"

"That's a secret!" he said, grinning broadly and kissing her.

Sully let out a low growl as he pulled her close to him. There was no denying what he was thinking.

Michaela looked into his eyes and leaned forward to kiss him deeply. He touched the side of her face and trailed kisses along her neck and up to her ear lobe, she felt her knees go weak. Her body started to stir in places she had long forgotten about. She raised a hand to gently push Sully away.

He stepped back with a concerned look on his face. Michaela noticed his look and quickly explained.

"I would like to go change into something more comfortable," she stated.

"I wouldn't bother. It will be on the floor in a few minutes," he replied, grinning widely.

Michaela blushed. "I wanted to show you the special gift I bought just for you."

"Okay, I am intrigued now."

Michaela dashed into the bathroom to change into the silky nightgown that left little to the imagination. She felt very bold when she was purchasing it. It was a dusky peach color made of pure silk. It blended beautifully with her complexion. It was knee length with a lace overlay and had spaghetti straps. It was very sheer and was sure to delight Sully once he saw her in it. She glimpsed her reflection in the mirror. She blushed, imagining how he would react. She stood before the mirror for a few minutes, willing her pulse to calm down.

She gathered the nerve to slowly peek out of the bathroom door to see where Sully was. She didn't immediately see him and continued to open the door a few more inches, trying to remain hidden as much as possible. She saw Sully sitting on the edge of the bed, removing his shoes and shirt. He stood with his back to her to pull the blankets back and fluff the pillows. Michaela took a sharp intake of breath as she glimpsed the sight of his broad, muscular back. She reveled in watching the muscles move effortlessly as he moved the blankets around and move their bags further from the bed.

Michaela slowly pulled the door open and silently walked toward him. Sully sensed her and turned around. His mouth dropped open when he saw her. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, covering her breasts. She had her hands clasped in front of her. He noticed her blushing.

"You look amazing!" Sully cried, sitting down on the edge of the bed, fearing his legs would give out.

"Thank you," she replied and walked over to him. She stood in between his legs and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sully kissed her and put his arms around her waist. Michaela began to feel warmth spread throughout her body. Sully leaned back and she fell on top of him.

Sully still had his hands wrapped around her waist and began placing kisses along her neck. Michaela began to feel a heaviness settle in her center. He let his hands roam along her back, slowly bringing her nightgown up. She felt his hands touch her bottom then move up toward her back. As her body began to awaken, she returned kisses along his jawline and down his throat.

Sully stopped and looked into her eyes. She could feel his arousal. They both answered each other's unspoken request. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rolled over on the bed so that Michaela was laying underneath him. He trailed kisses along her throat all the while he is removing her night gown, exposing her body to him.

He rolled off of her and laid on his left side next to her on the bed, propped up on his arm. Sully took his fingers and ran lazy circles around her breasts, teasing her nipples. He delicately licked the same path that his fingers took. Sully leaned over and traced her lips with his tongue. She parted her lips and their tongues met. She felt heady with love for him. Michaela began to caress his hard, muscled chest. She teased his nipples and raised up to lightly lick them.

Sully let out a contended sigh and laid back on the bed. Michaela began to fumble with the zipper to his jeans. He raised his head up and put a hand behind his head to support it while he grinned at her.

"Here, let me help you," he stated, taking pleasure in her difficulty.

Michaela looked up at him and blushed. "Thank you."

He briefly closed his eyes, enjoying the intimate contact with her. He raised his hips to allow her to remove his jeans. As she was pulling them down his legs, he caressed her shoulder then slowly moved down to her arm. He caught her reaction to his full state of arousal. He watched her eyes widen and she looked up at him, blushing. He returned her glance with eyes full of lust.

Sully removed the hand that was supporting his head and drew her down toward him. Her mouth opened to accept his tongue in a deep kiss. He rolled over so that she was underneath him. He put a knee between her legs to move them slightly apart. He leaned down to kiss her and nibble on her ear lobe then trailed kisses down her throat to the valley between her breasts and lower still.

Sully looked down at her and ran his finger along the same trail as his kisses. When his hand reached her stomach, Michaela tensed slightly.

Sully drove her wild with anticipation. She had never experienced this level of love with David. Sully made her body tingle with every touch.

"Shhh, relax," Sully whispered in her ear.

He slowly moved his hand lower and began kissing her lips, then moving to her throat and then to her breasts. When his fingers reached her center, she let out a whimper and looked up at him, searching his face.

Sully gazed back at her lovingly. They held each other's gaze as she wrapped her fingers around his arm and he expertly pleasured her. He brought her to the brink of complete pleasure and then slowed his pace. Just as she was reaching the crescendo, Michaela felt him slowly enter her. She gasped at the sensation, and they quickly found their rhythm. He continued to touch her center and soon she was feeling her pleasure build, in response, he picked up his pace and soon they reached the peak at the same time.

Sully looked down at her and softly kissed her on the lips. "I love you."

"Sully, I love you more than you could ever know," Michaela answered.

As their bodies relaxed, Sully moved to lay beside her on the bed. Michaela rolled to her side and he cuddled behind her, throwing an arm over her waist. She grabbed the blanket to cover them. They quickly fell asleep.

A few hours later, Michaela awoke. Sully still had his arm protectively draped around her waist. She smiled to herself and silently slid out of the bed. She stood up slowly and stretched her sore, achy muscles. It was now early in the morning and the cabin was completely dark. She quietly padded to the bathroom and shut the door. She turned on the light and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She could see the effects of their passion on her face and chest. Her complexion was still flushed.

She turned on the shower and turned the water up so that it was very hot. Michaela stepped in and let the water run over her body and relax her achy muscles.

Sully awoke with a chill. He noticed that Michaela was no longer in the bed. He tried to focus in the dark to see where she could be but then he heard the water running in the bathroom. He stretched his tired muscles and walked to the bathroom door. He tried the door handle. It was unlocked. He silently opened the door. He stood there watching her in the shower. Her thin, lithe body covered in her wonderfully scented soaps.

He walked toward the shower, unable to control his urges. He quietly opened the door and stood behind her. He touched her side. She jumped and almost lost her balance.

"Oh Sully, you scared me!" she cried.

"I'm sorry," he replied, pulling her toward him in a tight embrace and letting his hands roam over her body.

She felt her body begin to tingle at his touch. She took her bottle of delicate soap and poured some on his chest. She took her hands and spread the bubbles around and let them fall to intimate areas of his body. He smiled at her with those deep blue eyes. That look drove her wild. She couldn't help but kiss him. He returned her kiss with passion.

Sully picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He braced himself against the shower stall and quickly entered her while plying her with playful nibbles along her collarbone. Michaela couldn't help but quietly giggle at the sensation of his nibbles.

They finished their passionate embrace quickly and turned off the water. Sully sat down on the bench and caught his breath. Michaela moved to sit on one of his thighs. Sully kissed her and embraced her tightly.

"You know if you sit here too long, we will both need another shower," Sully mentioned.

"And is there anything wrong with that?" Michaela teased.

"Not in my book, but I am a little hungry," he confessed.

"I am too."

They toweled off and went out to the kitchen. "I hope there is something to eat since nothing is open right now," Sully stated.

Michaela opened the refrigerator and found it fully stocked with everything they could imagine. She gathered some grapes, turkey slices and some water. She turned around and Sully was gone.

"Sully?"

"Out here," he answered, sitting in the swing on the porch.

"What are you doing out here?"

She moved to sit next to him. "I found some food." She put the plate in her lap.

Sully moved to put his arm around her shoulders while taking some grapes and eating them.

"Look over there," he said, pointing out in front of them, toward the valley. "The sun is starting to rise."

"It's beautiful!" she replied, snuggling close to him.

"Just imagine that will be our view as soon as the house is finished," he mentioned.

"It will be nice to be able to raise the girls so close to nature."

"I couldn't agree more."

They sat on the swing and watched the sun rise over the mountains and shed light on the valley below. Michaela was lost in her thoughts of wonderment at the love she and Sully shared, their two beautiful girls and excitement in what the future held for them.


	17. Chapter 17

Epilogue

"Momma!" Hannah cried from the back deck.

"Hannah, sweetie, what are you doing?" Michaela asked, throwing her dish towel over her shoulder and bending down to her level as best she could with her growing belly.

Hannah was covered in washable paint, markers and play doh. "I am making a present for Katie's birthday and I made a big mess." She replied, pouting.

"Yes, I see that, how did you make this mess?"

"I was just having fun and painting this picture."

"That is perfectly okay, here, let me pick you up so you don't track it in the house."

Michaela carried the three year old in the house and down the hall to the bathroom and put her in the bathtub.

"Yay, momma! I like baths," she squealed, splashing bubbles and water all over Michaela.

"What is going on in here?" Sully asked, carrying a squirming Katie.

"Daddy, I want to get in the bath tub too!" Katie wailed.

"Katie, Hannah isn't going to be in here very long, she made a mess outside and I'm cleaning her up."

"Okay, momma," Katie was satisfied with her answer.

Sully and Michaela exchanged tired glances. The girls were now three years old, with just a few months separating them. They were very independent little girls with a strong will and determination. Katie took after Michaela in her fierce determination and Hannah took after Sully in his love of the outdoors. She insisted on being outside all the time. Katie and Hannah were inseparable. Michaela loved that they had a deep bond.

Michaela left the girls in the living room with Sully while she finished preparing dinner. The timer on the oven alerted her that Katie's birthday cake was done baking. She heard giggling and squealing as she put the cake on the counter to cool. She peaked around the corner to see both girls climbing over Sully while he sat on the couch. She smiled as she watched the three of them bonding.

"You all sound like you are having fun without me!" Michaela declared.

"We don't mean to, momma," Katie answered.

"Michaela, come sit over here by me," Sully said, patting the sofa next to him.

She moved to sit next to him and the girls giggled and scampered out of the room.

"Don't go far, dinner is almost ready," Michaela called after them.

Sully put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. She snuggled into his shoulder and kissed him lightly on the neck. She was very content with her life at this moment. She glanced around their living room. It was a two story space with expansive windows that looked out on the mountains and valley below them. Sully had surprised her with the details of the floor plans. It was built in the same style as the restaurant where they had their first date.

The fireplace was in the middle of the room and was built out of large stones and boasted many pictures of them and the girls while out on adventures. There was a large wooden mantle that Sully had created that ran the length of the hearth. Sully's wood working business was flourishing in the mountains of Colorado Springs. He had recently expanded to a new location in Denver. This kept him busy and away for several days at a time while he was getting that facility running. It was difficult on Michaela with the two girls to manage.

Michaela decided that she would become a part time physician in the pediatrician's office in town while the girls were small. The rigors of maintaining a fledgling practice and raising two small children was more than she could handle at the time. Michaela enjoyed the time she was able to spend at home.

"What are you thinking about?" Sully asked, after she was quiet for a while.

"I'm just thinking about how good life is now."

"I couldn't agree more," he answered, kissing her on the top of her head.

Hannah came back in the room quietly and wiggled her finger at Sully. "Daddy, can I go outside and get Katie's present?"

Sully hugged her and said, "Yes, sweet girl, but bring it over to the counter top and put it where Katie can't see it until after dinner."

"I should go see if the food is ready," Michaela stated and stood up.

The girls ate their dinner fast in anticipation of getting a piece of birthday cake. Sully put a paper cone hat on Katie that had a bright red pompom at the tip of it that had "Happy Birthday" written on it. Katie wore it with pride. She was beaming with a wide smile on her face while waiting for her slice of cake and her presents.

Hannah proudly presented her present to Katie. It was a piece of large construction paper trimmed in glitter and a sculpture of a horse made of playdoh. Hannah loved to create things with her hands and took every opportunity to make something for anyone she knew. Katie loved horses.

Later that evening, Sully and Michaela were sitting on the deck in their favorite swing watching the sun set behind the mountains. The girls were already sound asleep in their beds. The sky was turning a deep shade of orange and casting long shadows across the valley.

"This is my favorite time of day," Sully mentioned, placing a protective hand on her belly.

"Mine too," she agreed, looking up at him.

THE END

Author's Note:

I want to thank everyone for reading and taking the time to leave me a review. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey of writing my first fan fiction story. I hope you enjoyed as well.

Thank you!


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